Lady Rangers hold off East Mississippi to claim MACCC opener

Photo: Alorian Story of Northwest at the foul line to score one of her game high 23 points. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)

SENATOBIA, Miss. – Behind a dominant 23-point performance from Alorian Story, the Northwest Mississippi Community College Lady Rangers secured a gritty 61-59 victory over East Mississippi Community College on Monday night. The win marks a successful 1-0 start to MACCC conference play for Northwest, who improved to 10-5 overall.

Story Leads the Charge

Sophomore standout Alorian Story was the focal point of the Northwest offense, finishing with a game-high 23 points. Story was nearly automatic from the charity stripe, connecting on 13-of-15 free-throw attempts, and anchored the interior with 15 rebounds.

“We knew she was going to be somebody we can depend on, night in and night out in the paint on both ends of the court,” Head Coach Lataryl Williams said. “She’s definitely somebody that we really rely on heavy for scoring and rebounding.”

Game of Shifts

Northwest opened with a strong first quarter, leading 19-10, but East Mississippi surged back in the second. The Lady Lions outscored the Rangers 16-8 in the period to cut the halftime deficit to one. Williams attributed the lapse to communication issues against EMCC’s ball screens and handoffs, noting it was difficult to replicate the opponent’s “game speed” in practice.

The fourth quarter saw both teams trade blows, each scoring 16 points. Northwest’s Dekyra Mitchell provided a crucial spark, finishing with 19 points on the night.

Executing Down the Stretch

With the game hanging in the balance during the final minute, Williams emphasized protecting the lead by avoiding fouls and feeding the post.

“We wanted to get the ball to one of our better players down low,” Williams said, noting that Story’s success at the free-throw line made her the primary target. The strategy paid off as Northwest maintained their slim margin to move to 1-0 in conference play.

By the Numbers

• Final Score: Northwest 61, East Mississippi 59
• Alorian Story: 23 points, 15 rebounds, 13-15 FT
• Dekyra Mitchell: 19 points, 4 rebounds
• Team FT%: Northwest shot 86.4% (19-22) compared to EMCC’s 70% (14-20).