November 19, 2021

The East Central Community College men's basketball team fell to 2-2 on the year on Thursday after falling to Meridian 74-64 in Graham Gymnasium. It was a packed crowd, filled with many ECCC fans making the short trip to Meridian, but ultimately the Warriors came just short.

It was all Meridian in the opening half of play on Thursday night as the Eagles quickly built up a lead before taking a 36-21 lead into the locker room.

The Warriors refused to go quietly and came out in the second half firing, slowly chipping away at the Eagles lead with some big three-pointers from Christopher Keys (Quitman), Demajion Topps (Winona), and Matthew Mackey (Flowood). The Eagles continued to get baskets on the other end of the floor, but the three-two trade-offs cut the lead to just a couple of possessions midway through the second frame. Meridian eventually stopped the bleeding with a well-time three-pointer that helped the Eagles hold the Warriors at bay down the stretch before growing the lead back to double digits in the final minutes of the game.

Keys and Topps led the way for ECCC with 17 points each, while Mackey finished with 13. Jelani Clark (San Francisco, Calif.) also chipped in nine in the contest.

The Warriors are back in action next Monday, November 22 as the team travels to Wesson to take on the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wolves at 2 p.m.