SCOOBA - Northwest newcomers Joseph Cooper and Isaiah Gaines each tallied 17 points in the Rangers' 70-65 road matchup at East Mississippi on Thursday evening.

Northwest led by nine midway through the first half, but the Lions chipped away at the lead over the final 10 minutes, eventually leading by as many as four late in the half. However, the Rangers ended the half on a high note, tipping in a layup at the buzzer and tying the game 33-33 at halftime.

As expected, both teams went back and forth the rest of the way. The Rangers did just enough to edge EMCC in the second half, outscoring the Lions 37-32 over the final 20 minutes to hold on for the win.

Ethan Pickett and London Taylor totaled 10 points apiece for Northwest, while T.J. Hannah finished with eight points and 10 rebounds, finishing just shy of a double-double. Additionally, Pickett also collected nine boards, coming up one short of his own double-double.

Jakorie Smith led East Mississippi with 22 points and 10 rebounds, followed by 13 from Blake Butler. Nick Walker also earned a double-double for the Lions, totaling 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Northwest (2-0) will play in front of the home crowd for the first time on Monday, as the Rangers host SAU Tech for a 7:30 tipoff at Howard Coliseum. The game will be carried on Ranger TV (nwccrangers.com/watch) and Facebook Live.