FULTON, MS – The Indians handed #21 Northeast Mississippi Community College their first loss of the season with a 95-87 victory.
The Indians (16-2, 3-0 MACCC) started strong, opening with an 18-4 lead before the Tigers (18-1, 2-1 MACCC) rallied to tie the game at 35-35 by halftime.
Damarion Winston caught fire in the second half, hitting three consecutive three-pointers to give the Indians a 68-57 advantage with 9:08 remaining. Later, Winston grabbed a defensive rebound and assisted Marcel Bridges for a layup, extending the lead to 82-64 with 3:38 left, sending many of the Tiger fans to the exits.
Winston led the way with 28 points [video], including five three-pointers, along with four assists and three steals. He tied his career-high in points and steals set earlier in a 92-75 win over Wallace State in December.
AJ Dent added 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Bridges contributed 19 points and four rebounds, while Dayveun Anderson scored 15 points in the victory.
Itawamba shot an impressive 54.4% from the field, 45.8% from beyond the arc, and 81.5% from the free-throw line.
For the Tigers, Tyler Byrd scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Landon Jeffries added 18 points, and Stephon Thomas contributed 12 points off the bench.
Northeast shot 46.4% from the field but struggled at the free-throw line, converting only 60% of their attempts.
The win was the second for the unranked Indians over a nationally-ranked opponent.
The Indians will face Pearl River (13-3, 2-0 MACCC) on Thursday. Fans can watch the game live at PRCCMedia.com/gold.
VIDEO: Renasant Bank Postgame Report
