Photo: Northeast Mississippi Community College freshman guard Jakeria Hawkins of Lake Cormorant is defended by Arkansas State University Mid-South’s Esther Kwagala during the Lady Tigers’ 105-59 win. (Credit: Michael H. Miller/Northeast Public Information)
Credit: Northeast Mississippi Community College Sports Information
The Northeast Mississippi Community College women’s basketball team made a great impression during its home debut.
The Lady Tigers broke the clock with a 105-59 victory over Arkansas State University Mid-South on Tuesday, Nov. 7 inside legendary Bonner Arnold Coliseum.
It was the first time that Northeast scored 100-plus points in a game since defeating Coahoma Community College by a 102-71 margin on February 1, 2018. The Lady Tigers went on to reach the region semifinals that season.
“I wish they all could be like that,” said Northeast head coach Chelsey Rhodes. “We had a really good night, but of course there’s plenty of room to get better. We’ve just got to keep going to work.”
Every active player on Northeast’s roster scored with five reaching double figures. Jakeria Hawkins (Lake Cormorant) tied for a game-high with 21 points and had a team-best four assists as well.
Rhodes “makes us shoot 70 out of 100 twice a week, so I have no choice but to make the shots during the game,” Hawkins said. “I still want to keep working and get better to help my teammates out.”
Alexis Rowe (Little Rock, Ark.) approached a double-double for the second consecutive outing. She was just behind Hawkins with 20 points and added eight rebounds, including five off the offensive glass.
Jasmine Malone (Byhalia) contributed 19 points on 9 of 12 shooting plus five steals. Freshmen Anna Greene (Kossuth) and Tyesha James (Lonoke, Ark.) totaled 13 and 10 points, respectively, for the Lady Tigers.
Northeast (2-1) outscored the Lady Greyhounds in every period. The Lady Tigers used a 18-2 run in the middle of the first quarter to quickly take control of the contest.
Defense was a key factor for Northeast, which held Arkansas State Mid-South (0-2) without a field goal for a nearly nine-minute stretch between the first and second periods.
The Lady Tigers took a 53-22 advantage into the locker room. Greene accounted for nine points in the second, including a pair of three-pointers in the last couple of minutes.
Northeast’s 100th point came on a free throw by T’Airiana Spearman (Coffeeville) with 2:04 remaining in the game. The Lady Tigers shot over 50-percent from the field and 80-percent at the charity stripe.
The Lady Tigers return to the road on Friday, Nov. 10 for a matchup with Gadsden State (Ala.) Community College. A matinee tipoff of 4 p.m. is scheduled at the Beck Gymnasium.
