MERIDIAN, MS – The Meridian Community College Eagles fought until the final buzzer but came up just short in a heartbreaking overtime loss to East Central, 77-75.

The Eagles (8-14, 1-6 conference) came out firing, jumping to a 9-0 lead against the Warriors (12-8, 3-3 conference) to start the game. East Central responded with a back-and-forth first half, capping it off with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to take a 31-28 lead into halftime.

The battle continued throughout the second half, with both teams exchanging leads in a high-intensity contest. Michael James and Xzayvion Childress caught fire for the Eagles, keeping Meridian within striking distance. With seconds left in regulation and trailing by two, Chance Sutton grabbed a crucial rebound and put it back up to tie the game, forcing overtime.

Overtime saw more lead changes, with neither team backing down. In the final moments, the Eagles had a chance to send the game to another extra period, but a missed free throw proved costly, allowing the Warriors to escape with the win.

James led the Eagles with 22 points, while Childress added 16.

Meridian will now look to snap its conference drought on Thursday when they travel to face Hinds.