DECATUR - Northwest squandered a 15-point lead and was outscored 23-10 in the third quarter, but the Lady Rangers were still able to outlast East Central down the stretch on Tuesday evening, earning a 61-56 victory.

Jacia Hayes notched her third career double-double, scoring 14 points with 10 rebounds, helping Northwest improve to 14-7 overall and 6-4 in the MACCC. With the loss, East Central dropped to 14-9 on the season and 3-6 in conference play.

It didn't take long for the Lady Rangers to gain an early edge, as Northwest raced out to a 9-3 lead after Marian Jenkins' basket at the 5:07 mark of the first quarter. Later, Anaria Lee helped Northwest make it an 18-9 advantage with a three-pointer at the end of the quarter.

That momentum would also carry over into the opening minutes of the second quarter, as the Lady Rangers went on an 11-4 run, pulling ahead by a 29-13 margin with 5:11 left before halftime.

However, what seemed like a runaway game for Northwest slowly began to fade, as East Central began to cut into the Lady Rangers' lead. By halftime, the Lady Warriors had worked their way back within nine points, trailing 33-24.

As the second half began, it was East Central's turn to go on a significant run. The Lady Warriors opened the third quarter on a 10-4 run, pulling back within three, before eventually regaining the lead over the final two minutes. In all, Northwest was outscored 23-10 over the course of the quarter and entered the fourth, trailing 47-43.

However, Northwest responded quickly to open the final period of regulation, going on a mini 5-0 run. The quick scoring spurt was highlighted by a three-pointer from Kae'la Mitchell, which allowed the Lady Rangers to regain a 48-47 advantage with 6:20 left.

From there, the two teams traded blows the rest of the way, with neither team able to truly pull away. Northwest led 53-51 with 4:12 left and the Lady Rangers held on to a 57-55 lead with 1:23 remaining. East Central missed an opportunity on the other end and Northwest hit crucial free throws down the stretch to escape with the win.

Northwest shot 39 percent from the floor and 31 percent from beyond the arc, while East Central hit just 31 percent of its shots and 17 percent of its three-point attempts. 

Aside from Hayes' double-double, the Lady Rangers were also carried by a pair of 10-point efforts from Mitchell and Mariah Reed-Jones. Zaria Glover also scored nine points off the bench, while Mikayla Abram grabbed nine rebounds and six points.

Miriam Prince led all scorers with 16 points for East Central, while Kyla Farmer provided 15 points off the bench. Lexus Keyes also helped the Lady Warriors with 12 points and five rebounds.

Next up for Northwest will be the first of two final home games, as the Lady Rangers host Hinds on Thursday, February 22. The Lady Bulldogs (7-12, 2-7 MACCC) have dropped four straight conference games, including Tuesday's 84-38 loss against Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Tipoff is set for 5:30 P.M. from Howard Coliseum. Broadcast coverage will be available on Action News 5 Plus and Ranger TV. Read Full Article