Lady Eagles advance to finals with 2OT win

(FULTON, Miss) - Twice this season, Meridian Community College and Southwest Mississippi locked horns in a classic women’s basketball game- with each team winning once.

Wednesday afternoon, they met for a third time in the MACJC State Tournament at Itawamba, and it may have been the most exciting of the three matchups.

Sophomore All American NaDosha Strickland and freshman guard Tiara Parker combined for 65 points Wednesday, leading MCC to a 91-88 win over Southwest in double overtime.

The win lifted the 18-ranked Lady Eagles to 23-4 on the year and sends them into tonight’s 6 p.m. state championship game against host Itawamba (19-8). Tonight’s final will pit the South and North Division champs against one another in Fulton.

Wednesday, MCC got a game-high 36 points from Strickland and 29 points from Parker- former standouts at Bay Springs and Meridian High School.

“Both of them played extremely well tonight,” said MCC coach Hilary Allen.

“And we had to have it. Southwest is a fine basketball team.”

The Lady Bears had beaten MCC earlier this season on a buzzer-beater in Summit, then the Lady Eagles returned the favor with a win over Southwest in Meridian.

Southwest was up 42-38 at halftime Wednesday, and the teams were tied at 75-all at the end of regulation and 81-all at the end of the first overtime period.

Jennifer Wair chipped in 12 points and had a team-high 12 rebounds for the Lady Eagles, while the Lady Bears got 28 points in defeat from Britley Wiltz.

Despite the outcome of tonight’s state title game, MCC has already clinched a spot in next week’s NJCAA Region 23 Tournament in Clinton.