Pictured above-The Lady Tigers faced the number one seed Co-lin Lady Wolves in Ellisville, Miss., in the first round of the MACJC State Tourney held at Jones Junior College. #21-Eboni Crayton played in her last game as a Lady Tiger and throws her last pass for Northeast on February 23, 2009. #22-Rumae Butler looks on and looks to be back in action for NEMCC next season.

LADY TIGERS SEASON ENDS AT STATE TOURNAMENT

 BOONEVILLE, Miss. -- Northeast Mississippi Community College’s women’s basketball team’s 2008-09 season came to an abrupt end in the first round of the Mississippi Association of Community/Junior College’s (MACJC) State Tournament at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville.

Northeast (10-14) never could get an offense going in the state tournament against the nation’s ninth-ranked team and found itself in an early 22-0 hole eventually falling 92-56 to Copiah-Lincoln.

Copiah-Lincoln (23-2) will meet Itawamba in the next round of the state tournament at noon on Wednesday while Northeast ends its season at 10-14.

Freshmen Shefarrah Turner (Oxford) and Ranisha Williams (Pontotoc) led the Lady Tiger offense against Co-Lin combining for 29 points.

Turner finished the day with a double-double after coming off the bench to spark Northeast with 16 points while pulling down 10 rebounds against the Lady Wolves.

Williams utilized her time on the court to check in with 13 points on the day.

Copiah-Lincoln’s Latoria Holder came away with 28 points on the night – 22 in the first half as Shareka Hunt chipped in with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Northeast could not find the range until the 13:38-mark of the first half when Williams stuffed home an offense rebound to cut the lead to 24-4 keying a small Lady Tiger run.

The Lady Tigers went on a 16-9 run following Williams make to cut the lead to 33-20 with 4:47 remaining but that would be as close as the Lady Tigers would come.

Copiah-Lincoln held Northeast to a free throw the rest of the half as it built a 26-point halftime advantage (47-21).

Turner tried to keep the Lady Tigers in the game by hitting 10-of-12 from the charity stripe but Northeast could not overcome a 26-percent shooting performance and a 33-turnover day.

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