SENATOBIA - Although Coahoma led for most of the second half, Northwest kept the deficit under double digits and struck at just the right time, regaining the lead for good with less than three minutes left to earn a 73-66 victory on Thursday evening.
With the win, the Rangers improved to 11-4 on the season and 4-3 in conference play, snapping a two-game losing streak. Coahoma dropped to 4-10 overall with the loss, remaining winless in MACCC competition.
Northwest got off to the quick start and led 19-12 midway through the first half. However, missed shots and foul trouble soon caught up to the Rangers, allowing the Tigers to take advantage, eventually taking a five-point advantage late in the half.
Northwest would use one last burst of momentum before the first half expired, regaining a three-point 37-34 lead at the break, thanks to a combined 13 points from
Ethan Pickett and
Jaylon Sanders.
Coahoma came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders, regaining and holding the lead for most of the second half. The Rangers would keep the pressure on the shorthanded Tigers though, and as Coahoma eventually ran out of gas, Northwest struck back late in regulation to take the lead for good.
Kavonte Tunstall fell short of a double-double, notching 12 points and nine rebounds.
Joseph Cooper also posted 12 points for the Rangers, followed by 10 apiece for Gaines and Sanders.
Off the bench,
T.J. Hannah earned eight points and six rebounds, while Pickett closed the game with nine points.
Quan Brown tallied 23 points and 10 boards to lead Coahoma, followed by 16 from Ben Galmore and 14 from Mook Harris.
Northwest shot 46 percent for the game, but finished just 15 percent from three-point range (3-20). The Tigers hit 41 percent of their shots but finished 46 percent from the charity stripe.
Next up for Northwest is a road tilt at East Central on Monday, January 24. The Rangers lead the all-time series 36-8 over the Warriors, with the last meeting between the two teams resulting in a 82-69 win for Northwest on December 8, 2012.
Tipoff in Decatur is scheduled for 6 P.M. and can be seen on
eccclive.com/gold-channel/.
