Lady Eagles Roll Past Northeast, Advance to Region 23 Quarterfinals
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
4 | 14 | 9 | 17 | 44 |
|
|
11 | 29 | 25 | 18 | 83 |
Team Stats
Northeast Mississippi Community College
| Game Statistics | Northeast Mississippi Community College | Meridian Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (19-69) | (35-65) |
| Field Goal % | 27.5% | 53.8% |
| Rebounds | 38 | 44 |
| Assists | 12 | 26 |
| Turnovers | 20 | 15 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 4 | 16 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 2 | 9 |
| Pts in the Paint | 20 | 58 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 6 | 12 |
| Bench Pts | 3 | 21 |
MERIDIAN, Miss. — The Meridian Community College women's basketball team opened postseason play in dominant fashion Thursday night, defeating Northeast 83-44 in the first round of the Region 23 Tournament inside the Graham Gymnasium.
The Lady Eagles, the No. 5 seed in the tournament, hosted No. 12 Northeast after narrowly missing out on a top-four seed and first-round bye. Meridian (24-5, 11-3 MACCC) made the most of its home-court advantage, delivering a commanding performance in front of the home crowd.
Meridian set the tone immediately, holding Northeast to just four points in the first quarter. The Lady Eagles then exploded offensively in the second quarter, scoring 29 points to take a 40-18 lead into halftime.
The second half continued much the same as Meridian controlled both ends of the floor, eventually pulling away for the 83-44 victory. The win improved on the Lady Eagles' earlier victory over Northeast this season, when they defeated the Lady Tigers 81-63 in Booneville.
Nataysia Willis led Meridian with an impressive all-around performance, nearly recording a triple-double with 21 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds.
Awa Diouf also delivered a strong showing off the bench, finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds, while four-time MACCC Player of the Week Terica Smith added 15 points and seven rebounds.
Head Coach Jocelyn McGilberry praised her team's focus and effort in postseason play.
"It was great to get a win in the postseason and see contributions from so many players," McGilberry said. "Awa gave us great minutes off the bench tonight. Now it's time to focus and be ready to compete on the road."
With the win, Meridian advances to the Region 23 Quarterfinals where the Lady Eagles will face Mississippi Gulf Coast. Meridian dropped a close contest to the Bulldogs earlier this season, falling 60-54 in January, and will look to avenge that loss.
The quarterfinal matchup is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. inside Dantzler Arena in Perkinston, Miss.
Tickets for the game can be purchased at:
https://www.mgcccbulldogs.com/information/tickets/tickets
The game will be streamed at:
https://www.mgcccbulldogs.com/watch
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