SENATOBIA - Northwest had the nation's 23rd-ranked team on the ropes all night on Monday, but Itawamba did just enough to escape Howard Coliseum with the 70-66 victory, denying the upset for the Rangers.
Northwest was led by
Jaylon Sanders' 16 points, while
Devin Moore came up just short of a double-double, earning 15 points and nine rebounds.
Jordan Johnson also tallied 11 points, followed by nine from
Marquavous Jones.
Right from the start, the Rangers showed that they came to play, even leading Itawamba by double figures midway through the first half. However, Itawamba was able to close the gap to a four-point deficit at halftime, 36-32.
Both teams played tug-of-war with the lead throughout the second half, but foul trouble began to add up for the Rangers down the stretch. Itawamba led 51-49 with 10 minutes left in regulation, only for Northwest to regain a 54-51 advantage.
Northwest took its final lead of 64-63 with just over two minutes left, but Itawamba would close out the game on a 7-2 run to steal the win.
Itawamba was led by 18 points from Tyronn Mosley and a 12-point, eight-rebound effort from Hunter Stacy. Josh Lee also scored 11 points for the Indians, while Walter Hamilton was credited with five blocks.
With the loss, Northwest ran its current losing streak to four games, dropping to 5-14 overall and 3-7 in conference play. Meanwhile, Itawamba improved to 18-2 on the season and 8-1 against the MACCC.
Northwest will travel to Meridian on Thursday, February 6 at 6 P.M. The Eagles (14-5, 6-3 MACCC) are coming off a 78-76 loss to Mississippi Gulf Coast, which snapped the team's five-game winning streak.
Thursday's contest between the Rangers and Eagles can be seen on
mcceagles.live.
