Eagles Upset Bid Falls Just Short Against Itawamba
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
34 | 23 | 57 |
|
|
26 | 30 | 56 |
Team Stats
Itawamba Community College
| Game Statistics | Itawamba Community College | Meridian Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (16-40) | (20-53) |
| Field Goal % | 40.0% | 37.7% |
| Rebounds | 34 | 29 |
| Assists | 7 | 15 |
| Turnovers | 13 | 12 |
MERIDIAN, Miss. – Meridian Community College Eagles battled down to the wire against one of the top teams in the conference, but their upset bid came up just short as they fell 57-56 to Itawamba in a heartbreaking finish Monday night.
The Eagles (8-16, 1-8) fought relentlessly against the Indians (19-4, 6-2), refusing to back down despite an early deficit. ICC opened the game on an 8-0 run, but the Eagles clawed their way back into contention, closing the gap to just two points late in the first half. However, the Indians regained control, stretching their lead back to 34-26 at the break.
The Eagles came out strong in the second half, opening with a 10-4 surge to put pressure on ICC. The remainder of the game was a battle, with MCC continuously chipping away at the lead but never quite able to overtake the Indians. The Eagles cut the deficit to as little as one point multiple times but couldn't find the go-ahead basket.
With time winding down, MCC had a chance to steal the victory in dramatic fashion. Michael James took the final shot at the buzzer, but his attempt narrowly missed, sealing the one-point loss for the Eagles.
Sophomore guard Javion Johnson and freshman guard DJ Johnson led the Eagles with 14 points each, while James added 12.
Despite the tough loss, MCC showed resilience against one of the top teams in the conference. The Eagles will look to bounce back when they travel to Mississippi Gulf Coast on Monday, February 17th for another key conference matchup.
