By By Fredie Carmichael
JAN. 12, 2001
SCOOBA Not making the big plays down the stretch.
Those were the words echoing throughout East Mississippi Community College's gym Thursday night after the Lions (7-8) lost the second game of a double-header with visiting division foe Itawamba 74-68.
The Lady Lions (0-15) lost the opener 82-57 with Itawamba upping its record to 9-6 on the year.
At the half, EMCC's men trailed Itawamba 36-33 and were hanging around off the hot hand of LaMario Mapp, who had 10 points at the break.
Eight minutes into the second half, the Indians had stretched their lead to 11, 60-49, on a driving layup by Jamaal Arnold. But the Lions came back on a 17-5 run, which included two thunderous dunks by Dennis Williams. Mapp stroked back-to-back 3-point bombs that put the host Lions up 61-60 with 7:21 left to play.
EMCC suffered a three-minute scoring drought, yet still only trailed the Indians 68-63 with 3:40 left. After a time out, the Lions used a smothering press and got a clutch 3-pointer from Williams that cut the Itawamba lead to three – 70-67 – with 1:55 to play.
However, the Lions missed their opportunities in the last two minutes and the Indians did their job at the free-throw line as they claimed the 74-68 win.
Rashard Alonza led the way for the Lions with 20 points followed by Mapp with 17.
In the women's game, the Lady Indians of Itawamba got off to a quick start as they took a 17-6 lead just six minutes into the game. EMCC cut the lead to seven, 22-15, at the 9:24 point of the first half, off a steal and a layup by former Meridian High standout Kim Davis.
That would be as close as the Lady Lions got as Itawamba outscored EMCC 16-7 in the last eight minutes of the half to take a 38-22 lead into the locker room.
Jan Richardson had back-to-back steals and layups early in the second half that helped put the Lady Indians up 46-29 with 16:04 left. Itawamba cruised the rest of the way in a convincing 82-57 road victory.
Kenyetta Moore paced the Lady Lions with 12 points while Davis chipped in with 11.