Lady Lions drop 59-52 home hoops decision to Holmes despite comeback attempt

SCOOBA -- The Lady Lions of East Mississippi Community College dropped a 59-52 home decision to Holmes Community College during Monday's non-conference basketball action played at EMCC's Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.

The Lady Lions held an early 11-6 lead before Holmes responded to take a 22-17 advantage by the end of the opening 10 minutes of play. The Lady Bulldogs pushed the margin to double figures during the second quarter and owned a 37-24 halftime lead.

The visitors maintained their double-digit advantage throughout the third quarter, though reigning All-MACCC guard Dukiaha Jones nearly single-handedly kept the Lady Lions in the contest by scoring EMCC's last 11 points of the third quarter. The West Point native then opened the fourth quarter with three more made field goals to help cut the Lady Lions' deficit to four points (54-50) by the 4:04 mark following three made free throws on consecutive trips to the line by Liberty Hughes.

That's as close as EMCC could get to completing a possible comeback attempt, however, as the Lady Lions only managed to score two more points – both on made free throws – over the final four minutes of the contest.

Jones scored 19 of her career-high 23 points during the second half, highlighted by a stretch when she made six straight shots from the field, including a three-pointer, to basically keep EMCC in the game. EMCC had no other scorers in double figures, though Hughes approached a double-double with eight points and eight rebounds.

Zion Harvey led Holmes with 20 points, while Kiara Shelly recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Coach Isaiah Butler's 2-2 EMCC Lady Lions will take on a second straight MACCC foe Thursday (Nov. 13) in Perkinston by taking on Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in a 5:30 p.m. non-conference matchup.