MERIDIAN - A short-handed Northwest team fought tooth and nail until the final buzzer, but the Rangers were ultimately unable to steal a win on the road in Monday's 78-73 loss.
Meridian improved to 5-0 in the battle of previously unbeaten teams, while Northwest dropped to 4-1 overall.
Though neither team was able to truly pull away for a sizable advantage, the Rangers held a lead for the majority of the first half. However, Meridian embarked on a 10-0 run to close out the first half, giving the Eagles a 36-32 lead at the break.
Northwest took a brief lead early in the second half, but the Rangers were unable to gain some breathing room from the quick Eagles' team. Meridian pulled ahead by 10 midway through the half, but Northwest moved back within striking distance for the rest of the contest.
Foul trouble was the story for both teams in the second half, as Meridian was whistled for 10 fouls less than five minutes out of the halftime break. The Rangers soon found themselves in foul trouble as well, as both teams entered the double bonus for the final 10 minutes of regulation.
In total, 45 fouls were called in the contest, including 21 against the Rangers. A technical foul was also assessed to Northwest in the second half following a reversed call.
Joseph Cooper collected 19 points, seven assists and five rebounds to lead Northwest, while
Ethan Pickett notched 12 points before fouling out late in the contest.
Isaiah Gaines scored 11 points and 13 rebounds to finish with a double-double, while
London Taylor scored nine of his 10 points from three-point range.
Additionally,
T.J. Hannah fell just shy of a double-double for the Rangers, earning 12 rebounds and nine points.
Christian Terrell led Meridian with 14 points, followed by 12 apiece from Brandon Ellington and Makeem Roberts. Keshawn Brown also provided 11 points to lead the Eagles off the bench.
Northwest will return to the friendly confines of Howard Coliseum on Thursday, November 18 for a 6 P.M. tipoff against Mississippi Delta. The game will be carried on Ranger TV (nwccrangers.com/watch) and Facebook Live.
