SENATOBIA – Jahyde Gardiner scored 28 points and Daniel Simmons added 23 for the visiting EMCC Lions who outscored Northwest by 20 down the stretch to run away with a 94-68 win Monday night at Howard Coliseum. 

EMCC improved to 13-3 overall and 3-3 in the north while Northwest fell to 12-5 and 4-2 in division play.

Northwest jumped out to an early 10-4 lead thanks to five quick points from Dre'Kalo Clayton and a pair of 3-pointers by Tyrin Jones and Mark Partee but the Lions quickly countered with a 25-9 run to take control by double figures.

Northwest bounced back nicely and carried some momentum into the locker room at halftime after closing the final 4:18 on an 11-4 spurt and trailed by only three, 39-36, at half.

Clayton's 3-pointer off a Jones assist tied the game at 39-39 to start the second half before back-to-back 3-pointers from Nat Dixon and Juan Davis Jr. put the Lions back in front by six.

The turning point of the game came at the 12:29-mark of the second half, however, after EMCC's Jontavius Baker was whistled for a technical foul. After C.J. Chatman connected on the two free throws for Northwest, the Lions mounted a major run and never looked back.

EMCC went on a 14-2 run to go ahead 73-56 and outscored Northwest 35-15 down the stretch for a lopsided 26-point win. The Lions shot a stifling 66 percent from the floor (19-of-29) in the period against 36 percent for the Rangers. EMCC also owned a 17-point rebounding edge and dominated 42-16 in points in the paint.

Gardiner scored 17 of his game-high 28 in the second period and was one of four Lions in double figures. Clayton had 19 for Northwest on 8-of-12 shooting while Lewis Freeman added 12 points and seven rebounds in his first start of the year.

Northwest will try and bounce back Thursday night on the road, traveling to Holmes for an 8 p.m. tipoff.