MCC rallies past Mississippi Gulf Coast 84-79

Lady Eagles advance to face rival East Mississippi in semi-finals tonight, 8 pm

By Jamie Wachter / Sports Editor
The Meridian Star

(CLINTON, Miss.)- Hilary Allen was flummoxed.

The Meridian Community College women's basketball coach was the first to admit, there wasn't much his Eagles could do to slow Gulf Coast in the first half Tuesday in the first round of the NJCAA Region 23 tournament at Mississippi College's A.E. Wood Coliseum.

With the Bulldogs hitting 3-pointer after 3-pointer, MCC fell behind by 15. However, the Eagles rallied in the second half to win 84-79 and advance to an 8 p.m. semifinal today against East Mississippi Community College.

“They couldn't miss from 3,” Allen said. “I don't have a defense for that. My wife (MCC assistant Celia Allen) kept telling me we needed to stop this and stop that. I don't have a defense for 3s.

“It takes a better coach than me to stop 3-pointers.”

Gulf Coast hit nine 3s in the opening stanza, led by Roxyali Munoz's four. The Bulldogs led 27-12 after the third of those treys with 8:38 remaining in the half. MCC would close within 40-30 on a Kayla Hawkins 3, but Gulf Coast responded with one final triple before the half, this one from Delainna Lyons.

The Bulldogs kept humming in the second half, pushing the lead back out to 54-39 with 16:31 to go on another Lyons 3. Then, MCC (26-5) awoke and quickly soared back into the game.

The Eagles went on a 14-2 run during the next three minutes, pulling within 56-53 on a three-point play from Chasity Kearney, who led MCC with 22 points and 16 rebounds. Kearney scored 15 of those in the second half. Fellow forward Arnissa Galloway added eight points and nine rebounds as the Eagles controlled the boards

“We couldn't rebound in the first half because they never missed,” Allen added. “But we did rebound very well the second half, and it all came from doing so many little things.

“It was a complete team effort, from Kia Morris getting her hands on every single loose ball to Galloway playing great defense.”

MCC remained close until a Bianca Powell putback tied it at 71 with 5:29 to go and then a little more than a minute later Hawkins put the Eagles ahead for good off a Powell pass. The sophomore point guard handed out eight assists to go with 12 points. It was MCC's first lead since 4-3 at the 18:07 mark of the first half.

From there, it was the Norianna Haynes show. Pouring in a game-high 26 points, the Northeast Lauderdale product scored MCC's last 11 points, making seven of her final eight free throws. MCC had made just 14 of its first 27 attempts from the line.

“She can do so many things,” Allen said. “For her to rebound like she does from shooting guard and then she makes big passes and hits a big shot from the corner.”

Gulf Coast was led by Brianna Blunt's 17 and Lyons' 15. Munoz added 14 and Deonica McCormick finished with 13.