SENATOBIA - Freshmen
Keanu Patrick and
Ja'Quise Richmond combined to score 28 of 30 points off the bench, but it wasn't enough for Northwest to overcome Copiah-Lincoln in Thursday's 87-60 loss.
Northwest was haunted by offensive struggles throughout the game, but most notably in the second half, where the Rangers finished just 8-of-30 from the floor. Northwest finished the evening shooting 33 percent, compared to Co-Lin's 51 percent average. The Wolves also shot 41 percent from beyond the arc and 77 percent from the charity stripe, compared to just 18 percent and 65 percent, respectively.
A quick 4-0 start for the Rangers was soon overshadowed an 11-0 run from the Wolves, highlighted by a three-pointer from Devin Carter at the 16:25 mark. Northwest pulled within four several times over the next few minutes, but never regained the lead, as Co-Lin eventually widened the gap to double digits late in the first half.
Patrick's halftime buzzer-beater gave the Rangers a slight confidence boost at the break and
Shavurdacour Nicholas opened the second half with a three-pointer of his own, closing the gap to 10 points. However, the momentum was short-lived as the Wolves stretched their lead to 17 points by the midway point of the half. Co-Lin never relinquished its double digit lead and back-to-back three-point shots from Fred Gray, Jr. pushed the Wolves' advantage over 20 points in the waning minutes of the contest.
Patrick's 15-point effort marked his season-high, while Richmond totaled 13 points. Both players earned six rebounds apiece, though
Shah Hall led the Rangers with nine boards and seven points.
Nicholas led the starters with nine points, followed by eight from
Marquavous Jones and seven from Hall.
Four Co-Lin players reached double figures, led by a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double from Avaughn Johnson. Carter tallied 19 points and five assists to lead the Wolves, while Emmanuel James and Courterius Scott earned 17 and 16 points, respectively.
With the loss, Northwest drops to 4-8 on the season. The Rangers will seek to get back in the win column on Monday, January 15 against Baton Rouge Basketball Post Grad Academy, scheduled for a 6 P.M. tip-off at Howard Coliseum.
