SENATOBIA - Sophomore
Lily Whitley was one of three Northwest players to reach double figures on Sophomore Night, but the Lady Rangers ultimately fell 65-61 in their home finale to Meridian.
For Northwest, it was the Lady Rangers' second straight loss, dipping the team's overall record to 15-9 overall and 7-6 in the MACCC. Meanwhile, Meridian jumped to 10-14 on the season and 6-6 inside conference play.
Northwest opened the game with a 6-2 lead, thanks to back-to-back three-pointers from Whitley and fellow sophomore
Zaria Glover. Though Meridian briefly took a 9-8 lead with 5:46 left in the quarter, the Lady Rangers countered by pushing their lead to as many as 10 points, ending the quarter with a 23-14 advantage.
However, the Lady Eagles quickly worked the deficit down to five early in the second quarter and a scoring drought that lasted nearly three minutes did little to help Northwest respond. A layup from
Mikayla Abram did help the Lady Rangers push the lead back to six with 4:31 left in the half, but another scoring drought that lasted almost four minutes helped Meridian pull back within one.
Clinging to a 27-26 lead with a minute left in the second quarter,
Kae'la Mitchell hit a much-needed three-pointer, followed by a quick layup to push the Lady Rangers back to a six-point lead. Raven Jones would help Meridian get the last laugh of the first half though, as her layup at the four-second mark helped the Lady Eagles pull within 32-28 at the break.
Though Abram opened the second half with a basket, Meridian went on an 8-0 run over the next two minutes, allowing the Lady Eagles to retake a 36-34 lead on a layup from Halei Keyes. Abram hit another basket to tie the game at the 5:14 mark of the quarter, but Meridian once again stretched its lead to five with 2:38 to go.
A three-pointer by
Mariah Reed-Jones and a pair of free throws from Whitley helped the Lady Rangers pull back within one near the end of the third quarter, but the Lady Eagles maintained their lead entering the fourth.
Northwest regained a 47-46 lead on a pair of
Angela Middleton free throws early in the fourth quarter, but Meridian took advantage of another three-minute dry spell from the Lady Rangers, pushing the Lady Eagles ahead by nine with 5:32 remaining.
Northwest pulled back within five over the next couple of minutes, but the Lady Eagles continued to make baskets when it mattered most. One of those came with 49 seconds left, as an Amari Davis jumper made it a six-point advantage for Meridian. Northwest cut the deficit to 63-61 with 20 seconds left, but the Lady Rangers missed opportunities down the stretch, allowing the Lady Eagles to seal the win on free throws.
Both teams shot under 40 percent on the evening, with Meridian shooting 39 percent from the floor, compared to 38 percent from the Lady Rangers. Northwest outscored the Lady Eagles 25-11 off the bench, but MCC outmatched the Lady Rangers in the paint, 38-26.
Meridian also pulled down 50 rebounds, compared to 40 from Northwest. Sophomore
Marian Jenkins led the Lady Rangers with nine rebounds,
Reed-Jones nearly collected a double-double for the Lady Rangers, finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds. Whitley followed with 11 points, while Abram accounted for 10 points and four blocks.
Davis finished with a double-double for Meridian, scoring 20 points with 11 rebounds. Jones also nearly had a double-double, scoring 13 points and nine boards.
Northwest will now close out the regular season at Mississippi Gulf Coast on Monday, March 4. The Lady Bulldogs (18-4, 11-1 MACCC) have won six straight conference games, including their most recent 93-47 victory against Meridian last Monday.
Tipoff from Perkinston is scheduled for 5:30 P.M.
