January 5, 2010

NORTHEAST SPLITS WITH JONES COUNTY

BOONEVILLE, Miss. –  Northeast Mississippi Community College freshman forward Tyrie Berry (Ripley) rang in the New Year with a impressive performance against Jones County Junior College in the Tigers’ first game back from holiday break.

Berry, a 6-6 forward out of Ripley High School, threw down 21 points and ripped 20 rebounds as Northeast evened its record at 6-6 with an 86-75 win over Jones County Tuesday night.

In women’s action, Jones County overcame a halftime deficit to knock off the homestanding Lady Tigers 79-70.

“It’s a new year,” Berry said. “Coach (Robbins) expects more out of me. Even though I got tired at times I had to push through it.”

Berry led three other Tigers in double figures in Northeast’s first game in 2010 as Cody Garrett (Alcorn Central) hit for 15 including a perfect 3-for-3 showing from beyond the arc, Emmauel Ezejiofo (Raymond) connected on 11 and Kayo Taylor (Orlando, Fla.) rounded out a quartet of Tigers that combined for 57 points with 10.

Berry and Garrett carried the Tigers to a 40-31 lead at the break after Northeast fell behind by as many as eight in the first half.

After a Kadeem Fleming three-pointer late in the first half gave Jones County a 29-26 lead, Northeast responded with a 14-0 before Kendrick McDonald capped the half in the closing seconds for JCJC.

Garrett started the run with a jumper and sealed the deal with back-to-back three pointers from the right corner to give the Tigers a 40-29 lead while Berry kept the run going with a pair of freebies and a bucket that held the Bobcats at bay.
Jones County (6-5) cut the lead to four midway through the second half (55-51) but that was as close as the Bobcats would come as Berry and Garrett teamed with Ezejiofo and Tyler Pritchard (Iuka) to stymie the Bobcat charge.

In the women’s contest, Northeast rallied from nine down in the first half to take a 36-35 lead at the break but couldn’t hang on in the final 20 minutes as Jones County (10-1) bounced back for the nine-point victory.

Northeast held the lead until the 11:21-mark of the second half when Jones County captured its first lead of the contest since late in the first half as Tanecka Carey connected on a three-pointer for a 52-50 advantage for the Lady Bobcats.

Northeast clawed its way back to within three at 63-60 when sophomore guard Al’Lisha Hudson (Charleston) found herself wide open for a deuce.
Jones County’s three-point advantage was as close as Northeast could come in the second half.

Northeast (3-7) battled back from nine down in the first half to take a one-point advantage (34-33) as Chelsey Whitaker (Alcorn Central) connected from downtown late in the first half. Whitaker’s trifecta capped a 14-4 run that allowed the Lady Tigers to get back in the contest as five Northeast players checked into the scoring column during the spurt.

Amber Johnson (Pine Grove), Haley Whitley (Jumpertown), Rumae Butler (Belmont) to go along with Hudson and Whitaker keyed the attack for the Lady Tigers going into the break.

Northeast continues its non-division play as the Lady Tigers and Tigers host Copiah-Lincoln Community College on Thursday, Jan. 7 at 5 and 7 p.m.

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