SENATOBIA - Trailing by 16 points late in the first half, it seemed that Northwest was potentially heading for its first loss of the season on Monday evening.

Instead, the Lady Rangers turned the tables with a 13-2 run over the final four minutes of the second quarter and held Holmes to just six third quarter points, as Northwest improved to 3-0 at Howard Coliseum with the 78-72 victory.

Three Northwest players reached double figures, led by a season-best 22 points from Mariah Reed-Jones. The freshman from Oxford also added six rebounds, four assists and three steals, helping the Lady Rangers remain unbeaten at 5-0.

Holmes started off strong, opening the game with a three-pointer from Savannah Hailey. Northwest quickly tied the game with a layup by Angela Middleton and a free throw from Marian Jenkins, only for the Lady Bulldogs to pull ahead by five.

Trailing 8-3 midway through the first quarter, the Lady Rangers went on a 7-0 run that was capped off by Reed-Jones' three-pointer. The 10-8 lead was short-lived however, as Holmes regained a four-point advantage and led by nine with 1:08 left.

Down 25-19 entering the second quarter, Northwest soon found itself behind by double figures, as Darranya Wright scored off a steal and a fastbreak layup. Wright also drew the foul on the basket and made the subsequent free throw, pushing Holmes to a 30-19 advantage at the 8:48 mark of the quarter.

For the next few minutes, the Lady Rangers continued to fall further behind the Lady Bulldogs, culminating with the 16-point deficit. A quick three-pointer from Middleton changed everything for Northwest, sparking the aforementioned 13-2 run that ended with the margin cut to 41-36 at the break.

Northwest continued to chip away at the lead in the early minutes of the third quarter, finally breaking through on a steal and fastbreak from Reed-Jones at the 6:40 mark. The basket in transition allowed the Lady Rangers to gain a 44-43 lead on Holmes.

A layup from Kae'la Mitchell and a three-pointer from Lily Whitley pushed the lead to 49-43 for Northwest, and the Lady Rangers led by seven by the end of the quarter.

Despite the newfound momentum, Northwest could never pull away for a double-digit lead, keeping Holmes within range for a comeback. Back-to-back three-pointers from Hailey helped the Lady Bulldogs do just that, as the lead shrunk to one. Zi'A Shields gave the lead back to Holmes with a pair of free throws at the 6:01 mark.

However, Zaria Glover made sure the lead was short-lived, as the sophomore responded back with a three-pointer that made it a 63-61 advantage for Northwest. Back-to-back baskets by Reed-Jones pushed the margin back to seven, while a layup from Jenkins at the 2:33 mark made it a nine-point lead for the Lady Rangers.

Holmes never trailed by double figures down the stretch, but the Lady Bulldogs were unable to draw any closer than six points down the stretch. Made free throws by Mitchell and Reed-Jones helped seal the win for Northwest.

Northwest shot 40 percent from the floor, upping its shooting averages from 32 percent in the first quarter to 47 percent in the fourth. The Lady Rangers also made 35 percent of their three-pointers and 69 percent of their free throws.

Aside from Reed-Jones' 20-point performance, Middleton finished with 14 points and six rebounds, followed by 11 points and four boards from Glover. Jenkins led the Lady Rangers in total rebounds, earning 14 boards with five points and a pair of blocks. 

Mikayla Abram also collected five blocks in the win, upping her season total to 17, good for second in the NJCAA Division I ranks and first in the MACCC. Additionally, the Memphis native is averaging 3.4 blocks per game, an average that leads the conference and ranks fourth nationally.

As for Holmes, the Lady Bulldogs shot 59 percent from the floor in the opening quarter, only to finish at 36 percent for the evening. Additionally, the Lady Bulldogs did not make a field goal in the entire third quarter, earning all six of their points from the free throw line, where they finished 60 percent.

Wright led four Holmes players in double figures, collecting 20 points on three steals and three rebounds. Shields also netted 13 points with two steals and two boards, while Hailey and Bella Roberts scored 11 points apiece.

Deundria Stovall led the Lady Bulldogs in the rebound column, earning eight off the bench, while adding seven points.

Before departing for Thanksgiving Break, the Lady Rangers will welcome in Arkansas State Mid-South and National Park College for the Northwest Classic, scheduled for November 16-17 at Howard Coliseum. Northwest will host ASU Mid-South at 7 P.M. on Thursday evening, before wrapping up the invitational with National Park on Friday at 2 P.M.

Both games will be carried on Ranger TV. Read Full Article