BOONEVILLE – Despite shooting a season-low 25 percent from the floor, Northwest played Northeast within one possession for a majority of the game before falling 62-57 Thursday night on the road.

Northeast improved to 14-6 overall and 6-3 in the north while Northwest dropped to 8-10 overall and 2-7 in division play, officially eliminating the Rangers from postseason contention.

The teams exchanged eight leads, were tied three times and neither led by more than four in the first half, with Northeast taking a 29-28 lead at the break.

The Tigers held the Rangers to a dismal 21 percent shooting, but weren't much better themselves in shooting 35 percent from the floor.

Northwest opened the second half on a 12-5 run and took its largest lead of the game, 40-34, with 13:52 to play. 

De'Sean Dockery scored 17 of his game-high 18 points in the second half and Sharwyn McGee scored eight points and pulled down 10 boards to keep the Rangers slightly ahead for almost a 10-minute stretch in the half.

A 14-2 Tiger run starting at the 8:05-mark put Northeast back ahead 55-49 with 3:52 to play and they would hold off the Rangers down the stretch.

Northwest got to within one, 56-55, with 41 seconds left after a pair of Dockery free throws, but the Tigers hit 6-of-8 free throws to stay in front. 

The Rangers just couldn't catch a break in the game's final possessions, nearly turning the Tigers over on several occasions before two last-second timeout calls and phantom foul call allowed the host Tigers to salt it away at the line.

Behind Dockery's 18 points, McGee and Ashton Woodson had 10 apiece. McGee added 17 boards for his team-leading eighth double-double of the season.

Northeast was paced by 12 points apiece from Raheem Sorell and Dimario Jackson.

Northwest will host Mississippi Delta at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9.