Northwest men rally late to beat Hinds 98-97 at home

Senatobia, Miss. — The Northwest Mississippi Community College men’s basketball team fought back from a double-digit deficit to beat Hinds Community College 98-97 Thursday night at home.

Northwest, 15-10 overall and 4-6 in conference, secured the victory with strong free-throw shooting and aggressive play in the final moments, according to Head Coach John Redman. The team had suffered a 25-30 point loss at Southwest just days earlier but showed resilience with this win, Redman said.

Both teams exchanged leads early in the game. Hinds held a 16-14 edge after the first media timeout, and their largest first-half lead was 23-16. Ladarius Brown led Northwest in scoring during the first half with 16 points and hit four first-half three-pointers. The Rangers closed the half with a 7-2 run, taking a 55-49 lead into halftime.

The second half remained competitive, with neither team pulling away. Hinds briefly led 73-72 with 10 minutes remaining, but Northwest regained the advantage. Ties occurred at 83, 85, and 93 before the game was decided at the free-throw line. Northwest made 16 of 21 free throws in the second half, compared to 6 of 12 for Hinds, after both teams shot well in the first half.

With the game tied at 97, Chancellor Terry was fouled and made one of two free throws with seven seconds left, giving Northwest a 98-97 lead. Hinds had a final drive that fell short, and the Rangers secured their fourth conference win of the season. Terry finished with 24 points, 22 in the second half, while Brown scored 21 and Zahir Gutierrez added 20. Gutierrez and Terry combined to go 13-for-14 from the foul line.

Northwest struggled on the boards, grabbing 30 rebounds to Hinds’ 42, but shot 56% overall and 58% from three in the first half. LaMarcus Crawford led the team with seven rebounds and scored eight points. Terry led in assists with four, and Josiah Nelson added three.

The team has a quick turnaround before traveling to Copiah-Lincoln Community College on Saturday at 3 p.m. for their next game, following the women’s matchup. Redman emphasized the importance of focusing on playing their style to improve postseason chances.

More information on the Rangers’ schedule and upcoming games is available at nwccrangers.com or through their social media channels.

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