The Right ‘Stuff’: Haynes' late block pushes MCC women past EMCC

By Jamie Wachter / Sports Editor
The Meridian Star


MERIDIAN — Norianna Haynes is developing into the type of player Meridian Community College women's coach Hilary Allen likes.

The freshman from Northeast Lauderdale displayed that all-around game that has impressed Allen on Thursday in leading the Eagles to a comeback 62-61 win against East Mississippi Community College at Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.

It was no more apparent than in the final 15 seconds of the game when the Lions, trailing 62-61, inbounded the ball to guard Chadisty Hickman, a Kemper County product. Hickman, EMCC's top scorer at 20. 2 points per game, was looking to get that average as she drove the baseline. However, Haynes slid over to help and stuffed Hickman to preserve the win.

“That was by design,” Allen said. “She was the floater. Everybody else was supposed to deny and she was supposed to float to wherever the ball went. She stepped over and blocked the shot and did a great job at that.

“These are the games where Norianna as a freshman, growing into a college player, she makes those kinds of plays in the big atmosphere. She's special and is growing into a player I really like.”

Added EMCC coach Sharon Thompson: “We didn't run the play, didn't come close to running what I drew up in the timeout. We went baseline, and I specifically said not to go there, because nothing's there.”

To get that comeback win, though, the Eagles first had to weather a fierce EMCC (6-6) rally in the final 6:21 of the first half. At that point, the Eagles led 30-23 on a Haynes bucket. From there, though, MCC would get just one more basket – from Deanna Bolton with 4:13 left that momentarily gave MCC (13-4) the lead back at 32-30 – as the Lions closed on a 17-2 run.

The Lions picked right back up where they left off, building the lead to 49-36 with 15:30 left in the game on a Kiara Quinones-Noa basket that prompted Allen to call a timeout.

Frustrated with the lack of success from the Eagles, offensively, Allen preached patience.

In the next three minutes, MCC went on a 12-2 run sparked by bookend baskets from Haynes, who added 10 rebounds, three blocks and three steals to her 15 points.

“We had gotten out of our offense, and EMCC played great defense tonight especially those first 30 to 35 minutes in packing that zone in,” Allen said. “I thought by moving the ball, we got better shots. When they built that lead we weren't making shots, and we were settling for quick shots.

“We had to slow down and move the ball and get better shots, and we like to play quickly.”

The Eagles regained the lead with 7:33 left on a Bolton bucket. The two rivals then traded the lead back and forth for the next six minutes with EMCC regaining the lead for the last time when Hickman found Raven Howard with 1:27 remaining. Howard added 12 points for the Lions, who also got 15 from Natalie Tate while playing with just eight players due to an injury to Shanteria Tate.

“I think down the stretch defense is what won the game for us, and not just rebounding but hustle plays, making steals,” Allen said, adding that the Eagles held Hickman to just four points in the second half after allowing 14 to the EMCC star in the opening session.

“And what a phenomenal player (Hickman) is. We had to completely concentrate on her and we went to what we call 'no touch defense.' We didn't want her to touch the ball, and she touched it 25 times, but we really played well on defense.”

MCC, though, answered right back as Bianca Powell hit the last bucket of the game with 1:17 left. The Eagles received 17 points and 12 rebounds from Chasity Kearney and 11 boards from Arnissa Galloway as they outrebounded EMCC 65-48, including 17 offensive rebounds.

“We didn't stick with the gameplan,” Thompson said. “The gameplan was one shot and out. Get a defensive rebound and let's go because we knew they couldn't run with us.

“We didn't stick with the gameplan and let them get offensive rebounds.”

East Mississippi 90
Meridian men 69

When Lakin Petty drilled a 3-pointer with 29 seconds left in the first half, he pulled the Eagles within 39-36. However, D.J. Evans had an answer right before the half for No. 22 EMCC, hitting a floater in the lane that put the Lions up 5.

EMCC (11-2) kept that momentum going out of the break, holding MCC (10-6) scoreless for 3:55 and without a bucket until the 15:35 mark when Nick Watkins found the mark. However, by then the Lions had a 53-39 lead.

“Our whole focus point since we've come back after Christmas has been second-half defense,” EMCC coach Mark White said. “The first thing I told my team (Thursday night) was I liked their mentality better now. We held them to 33 after we were up 20 points the last 10 or 12 minutes, and it's easy to let up defensively there.

“We didn't do that and I was real pleased with that.”

Added MCC coach Jeff Walker: “They just out-toughed us. They rebounded better, played better and just out-toughed us.”

The Lions also found their offensive flow in the second half as well, turning a 61-51 lead with 11:07 left into a 79-56 lead just four minutes later as all five Lion starters reached double figures, led by sophomore guard Deonte Alexander's 21. Alexander jump-started the run with back-to-back 3s within 20 seconds. Sophomore forward Jonathan King added his third straight double-double and fifth on the season with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Millaun Brown finished with 16 points – 14 coming after the break – and Meridian High product Donovan Walker and Evans each scoring 10.

“That's sort of been the way we've been this year,” White said, adding EMCC has five players that average in double figures including Joe McCoy, who is out with a torn ACL. “We've always been real balanced, and that makes us hard to guard.”

Meridian was led by Donald's 12 and Travis Fredimon's 11 as the Eagles dropped their fifth straight game.

“We let them dictate play and we just didn't do what we needed to do tonight,” Walker said.