SENATOBIA – Four Ranger sophomores scored in double figures en route to a gritty, 79-75 win over East Mississippi Thursday night, a fitting end to an up-and-down season for Northwest which concluded with three consecutive wins.

Northwest ended the year at 11-10 overall and 5-7 in the north, missing the state playoffs by one game. EMCC fell to 17-6 overall and 9-3 in division play and will be the north's No. 2 seed at next week's state tournament.

Bubba Skelton also improved to 17-7 all-time against the Lions as the Rangers' head coach and has not had a losing season in 11 years (242-84 overall) in Senatobia.

In a very physical and chippy contest that saw a combined four technical fouls, an ejection and a head coach voluntarily leave the floor, it was Northwest who made all the key plays down the stretch to pull out a four-point win.

Things really heated up with 10:03 remaining in the first half when EMCC's leading scorer, Antonio Finley, cowardly hit Northwest's Tyrin Jones with a left jab to the face. Finley was immediately ejected for the flagrant foul and the Lions' bench then received a technical foul.

The lead was only six at the time, 22-17, and EMCC led by as many as 13 in the first half before the Rangers battled back to get the game to 39-35 at the break.

Northwest came out with great intensity in the second half and quickly tied the game at 39-39 on De'Sean Dockery's slam before a 12-3 Lion run pushed the deficit back out to 51-42 with 14:37 to play.

Minutes later, after clawing back to within four, Jones was hit with a technical foul for the Rangers for jawing, but Chris Rhoney missed on both free throw attempts to keep it 53-49.

Each time the Rangers would fight back to tie the game, the Lions would find a way to get to the free throw line and stretch the lead back out to 5-6 points. 

But with 8:05 to play, everything started to fall for Northwest. The Rangers hit six of their final 10 shots and held the Lions to just two field goals as part of a 19-7 run to close the game.

Ashton Woodson's 3-pointer with 2:31 left gave Northwest its first lead of the game at 75-73.

After missing two free throws that would've given Northwest a lead with 1:56 to play, Dockery calmly hit two with 2 seconds left to seal the win.

Woodson led four Rangers in double figures with 16, followed by LaJustin Anderson (14), Sharwyn McGee (11) and Dockery (10). Jones had eight off the bench.

Four Lions also finished in double figures, led by 14 from Juan Davis Jr.

Northwest was out-rebounded by 10 and out-shot 48-43 percent, but managed to pull out its 11th win of the year.