Lady Eagles Pull Away Late to Defeat Holmes, 70–62

MERIDIAN, Miss. – The Meridian Community College women's basketball team continued its strong run in conference play Saturday afternoon, defeating Holmes Community College 70–62 inside Graham Gymnasium to improve to 16–4 overall and 4–2 in MACCC action.

The contest lived up to its billing as a tightly contested matchup from start to finish. Both teams traded leads throughout the opening half, with the Lady Eagles holding a slim 16–14 advantage after the first quarter and a 32–30 lead at halftime.

The back-and-forth battle continued in the third quarter as neither side was able to create separation. Meridian entered the final period clinging to a 47–43 lead, setting the stage for a decisive fourth quarter.

That's when the Lady Eagles found another gear. Meridian created some breathing room by knocking down timely three-pointers and executing on both ends of the floor. Ashlynn Stephens and Nataysia Willis each connected from deep down the stretch as the Lady Eagles pushed the lead to double digits and sealed the 70–62 victory.

With the win, Meridian continued to assert its dominance on its home floor, improving to an impressive 8–1 record inside Graham Gymnasium this season. The Lady Eagles dressed just nine players, with eight seeing action, as starters logged heavy minutes once again.

Sophomore standout Terica Smith, a four-time MACCC Player of the Week, led all scorers with a game-high 25 points and added 13 rebounds for a double-double. Stephens finished with 14 points, Willis added 13, and Mia Washington narrowly missed a double-double with eight points and 12 rebounds.

Head Coach Jocelyn McGilberry praised her team's effort and conditioning in the closing minutes.

"I was proud of the way we competed for four quarters," McGilberry said. "It's not easy playing that many minutes, but our players stayed strong and had enough left to finish the game the right way."

Meridian's scheduled game against Coahoma originally set for Monday night has been moved to Saturday, February 21. The Lady Eagles will next be in action Thursday when they travel to Booneville, Miss., for a conference matchup against Northeast Mississippi Community College.

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