EMCC Lady Lions claim 52-45 home win over Northeast Mississippi to close out season

SCOOBA – The Lady Lions of East Mississippi Community College successfully closed out their 2025-26 basketball season with a 52-45 home victory over Northeast Mississippi during Monday's MACCC regular-season hoops finale played at Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.

Following an opening quarter of play that stayed within a four-point margin and ended with a 14-14 tie, the short-handed Lady Tigers outscored EMCC, 15-7, during the second 10 minutes of action and owned a 29-21 lead at the halftime break.

The Lady Lions turned the tables following intermission by scoring the first six points of the second half along with limiting Northeast to just five points during the third quarter. The 15-5 advantage in the quarter gave EMCC a 36-34 lead heading into the final 10 minutes of play.

Despite playing the second half without reigning All-MACCC guard Dukiaha Jones, who was injured in the first half, and with fellow sophomore Micaiah Satcher having fouled out with six minutes remaining in the game, the Lady Lions scored eight unanswered points to turn a 42-39 deficit into a 47-42 lead. Erica Lyons, a Neshoba Central product who played last season at East Central CC, drilled a clutch three-pointer down the stretch and stepped up again later in the quarter by converting a steal into a basket to give EMCC a 49-45 lead with 1:23 remaining in the contest.

With Northeast being held scoreless during the last two minutes of play, sophomore transfers Cenaya Calhoun-Jingles and Ariana Crimm combined to add three made free throws over the game's final 28 seconds to seal the win and snap the Lady Lions' six-game losing skid.

EMCC featured balanced scoring with Satcher and Crimm leading the way with nine points apiece, while Lyons and freshman guard Bailey Siddell added eight points apiece. Crimm, a Pass Christian native via Hinds CC, also collected 16 rebounds on the heels of her 19-point, 10-rebound effort at Coahoma during her previous outing.

Playing without injured leading scorer Maniya Kirksey and limited to seven available players, the Northeast Lady Tigers were paced by Nakyiah Walker's game-high 22 points. Christina Fulton added 15 points for the visitors.

Head coach Isaiah Butler's EMCC Lady Lions finished the season with a 6-20 overall record. Their other conference victories on the year came during consecutive games by double-digit margins over Southwest Mississippi (71-51 on Jan. 29) and Hinds (89-57 on Feb. 2).