Box Score SCOOBA – Northwest sophomore guard Jitaurious Gordon finished with a near triple-double, but East Mississippi denied the Rangers a pivotal road victory in a 102-89 decision in Scooba on Thursday night.

With its second straight loss, Northwest dropped to 8-5 overall and 2-2 in the MACJC North Division. EMCC jumped to 9-6 and 3-1 in division play with the win.

Gordon got the Rangers going to start things off, delivering a pair of threes that kept Northwest in an 8-8 tie less than five minutes in.

Gordon wasn't the only Ranger to make magic happen from outside, as Will Tribble and Alec Rayburn each provided baskets from beyond the arc in the midst of a 12-3 run that turned a 13-10 deficit into a 22-16 Northwest lead.

Solid shooting kept Northwest locked in a tight battle with the Lions as the first half drew to a close. The Rangers went into the locker room with a slight 52-47 advantage.

Although the Rangers continued to find shots from three-range, Northwest also dipped into foul trouble early in the second half. EMCC would take full advantage as a result, as the Lions began to pull ahead of Northwest.

A three from Rayburn at the 10:27 mark allowed the Rangers to pull within one, 74-73, but the momentum came to a halt just a few minutes later as Northwest starters began to foul out, while the Lions went to the free throw line. For the game, Northwest was whistled for 35 fouls against 23 for EMCC.

Despite the adversity, Northwest continued to hang within striking distance, trailing 94-84 with 2:32 left in regulation, but were unable to stage a rally on the road.

Before fouling out with six minutes to go, Gordon scored 23 points with nine rebounds and five assists. Rayburn also put up an impressive showing off the bench, scoring a new career-high of 15 points.

Mike Robinson and Nick Edwards also finished with 12 apiece to round out the Rangers in double figures.

East Mississippi was sparked by a massive 33-point effort from Robert Davis, Jr., while Dewayne Cox added 21 more for the Lions.

Northwest will have a chance to jump back into the win column on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at Mississippi Delta (6-8, 1-2 division). Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. from Moorhead.