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ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ women remain unbeaten with 51-40 road win at East Mississippi

SCOOBA, Miss. — ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ women's basketball improved to 3-0 on the season Thursday night, earning a gritty 51-40 road victory over East Mississippi Community College. The Lions controlled the game early, led 29-20 at halftime, and held off a fourth-quarter push to stay perfect on the year.

ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ led 15-11 after the first quarter and kept momentum on its side behind strong interior play and defensive pressure. The Lions entered the fourth leading 42-32, but EMCC opened the final frame on a 6-0 run, trimming the ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ lead to just 42-38 with a little over six minutes remaining.

From there, the Lions responded with poise and toughness. Their defense locked in, holding the Lady Lions to just two points the rest of the way, while two technical fouls on EMCC helped ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ create separation and close out the game with confidence.

 and  shared team-high scoring honors with 11 points each. Smith added seven rebounds and two blocks, while Goode contributed six rebounds and three assists in an all-around performance.  and  each scored eight points, with Gibson controlling the glass for a game-high 11 rebounds and Sanders contributing seven boards and a pair of assists.  added seven points along with three rebounds and three assists.

ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ's dominance on the boards played a major role in the win, as the Lions outrebounded EMCC 43-20 and limited second-chance opportunities. The defense also forced 11 turnovers in the low-scoring battle.

ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ returns home on Saturday, hosting Southern Crescent Technical College at Tom Drake Coliseum. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m.