SENATOBIA - Three Northwest players finished in double figures, as the Rangers kept their playoff aspirations alive with a close 66-59 victory against Coahoma on Thursday evening.

Darren Davis racked up 17 points with five rebounds and three steals, while Jordan Ealey added 13 points. Thomas Tangle also provided 11 points with three rebounds, as Northwest moved to 8-13 overall and 4-5 in the MACCC. Meanwhile, Coahoma dropped to 9-8 on the season and 1-7 in conference play.

There were five lead changes and six ties, as both teams battled back and forth the entire way. Coahoma led for most of the first half, stretching its lead to as much as nine with 1:37 left, only for the Rangers to close out the first half on a 7-0 run, with all seven points coming from Davis.

Trailing 31-29 at the half, Northwest fell behind by five right out of the gate, only to have Davis cut the deficit back to three with a layup at the 19:25 mark. Ealey followed with a basket of his own, bringing the Rangers back within one, and Tangle's layup gave Northwest a 35-34 lead.

Coahoma responded with a Korea McKay layup on the next possession, sending the Tigers ahead by one. The tug-of-war between both teams continued, even as the Tigers pulled back ahead by three at the 13:21 mark of the second half.

Northwest finally reclaimed the lead for good with 4:42 to go, as Ealey's three-point basket put the Rangers ahead, 54-53. A turnover helped the Rangers gain separation on the other end, as Davis and Dunn made back-to-back layups, pushing the lead to five points.

Though Jaden Slaughter's layup pulled the Tigers back within three, a jumper from Ealey and a pair of made free throws from Dunn helped Northwest push the lead to seven, with 49 seconds left. Coahoma would cut the deficit down to three with 42 seconds left, only for the Rangers to go back ahead by five, thanks to a pair of free throws from Davis.

A missed layup and a turnover helped Northwest regain possession with 12 seconds left. With Coahoma having no choice but to foul, Ealey was sent to the line, where he sank both free throws, sealing the win for the Rangers.

Northwest improved from 40 percent in the first half to 58 percent shooting in the second half, finishing the evening with a 49 percent clip. The Rangers were also 81 percent from the free throw line, while the Tigers shot just 38 percent from the floor and 61 percent from the free throw line.

Northwest also bested Coahoma in the paint, 32-36, while outscoring the Tigers 10-4 in second chance points and 18-12 off turnovers. 

In addition to the three Rangers in double figures, Northwest also collected a team-high seven rebounds from Devin Moore, who also provided six points off the bench. Dunn was also responsible for six points, four rebounds and four assists.

Jaqai Murray led the Tigers with a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double, while RiCarvis Waters finished with 11 points off the bench. Slaughter came close to earning a double-double for Coahoma, finishing with nine points and seven rebounds. 

Northwest now shifts its focus to Tuesday, February 20, when the Rangers visit East Central. The Warriors (12-12, 3-5 MACCC) are coming off an 82-79 victory at Mississippi Gulf Coast, which snapped a three-game losing skid.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 P.M. in Decatur, with live broadcast coverage provided here.  Read Full Article