Northwest Mississippi women beat East Central 60-47 on Sophomore Night

Senatobia, Miss. — The Northwest Mississippi Community College women’s basketball team defeated East Central Community College 60-47 Friday night at Howard Coliseum. The win improves NWCC’s record to 19-8 overall and 10-3 in conference play.

The game started slowly for the Rangers, who allowed East Central to take an early 9-2 lead. Head coach LaTaryl Williams called a timeout with 5:45 remaining in the first quarter. After the break, NWCC held East Central scoreless for the rest of the period and went on an 11-0 run, leading 13-9 at the end of the quarter.

The second quarter was tightly contested, with the score tied three times and the lead changing five times. East Central outscored NWCC in second-chance points, but a layup by sophomore Layla Hampton with two seconds remaining cut the halftime deficit to 28-27.

In the second half, NWCC dominated defensively, holding East Central to 19 points while scoring 33 themselves. The game was tied at 32 midway through the third quarter before the Rangers took control. Key plays included three-pointers from Dekyra Mitchell, clutch free throws from Alorian Story and Takera Bland, and layups from Story. NWCC finished the quarter ahead 43-38.

The fourth quarter saw the Rangers extend their lead with two early three-pointers from Mitchell. NWCC capitalized on turnovers, scoring five points off Warrior miscues, and maintained their lead without allowing East Central to catch up. The team’s resilience on Sophomore Night was highlighted by strong offensive and defensive performances from the sophomores, including Bland, Mitchell, and Story, who all scored in double figures.

Story also contributed with 14 rebounds, while Hampton filled the stat sheet with nine points, five rebounds, six assists, and seven steals. Coach Williams credited the team’s focus, stating, “We just talked about regardless of who our opponent is, we are going to play the same way.”

The victory secures a home playoff game for NWCC, though a first-round bye remains uncertain. Coach Williams marked his 51st win at Northwest and 95th overall. The team’s final regular-season game is next Monday against Mississippi Delta in Moorhead.

For updates on the NWCC women’s basketball team, fans are encouraged to follow the team’s social media accounts or visit nwccrangers.com.

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