Shorter ends Choctaws win streak

Published 1:00 am Sunday, January 11, 2015

CLINTON, Miss. — The Mississippi College men’s basketball team erased an 11-point deficit but saw their four-game winning streak come to an end in a 90-85 loss to Shorter University on Saturday afternoon in A.E. Wood Coliseum.

The Choctaws (6-5, 4-5 GSC) had not lost since December 13th against Christian Brothers and saw themselves trailing 44-33 to the Hawks (11-4, 6-3 GSC) with 1:27 remaining in the first half, MC would go on a 6-0 run to close the period and trail just 44-39 at the break.

With 15:59 to go in the game, junior Tristan Moore tied the game at 50-50, and with 12:32 remaining, senior Rayner Fredrick gave the Choctaws the lead at 61-60. Fredrick finished the game with 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists.

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Both teams traded leads as the game progressed, but the Hawks would take an 84-78 lead with under two minutes to play on a layup by Dedric Ware. The conference’s second-leading scorer finished with 20 points and eight assists.

MC would cut the lead down to three points with 16 seconds remaining and Shorter missed a free throw that was rebounded by senior Emmanuel Ezejiofo. The Choctaws would turn the ball over on their ensuing possession, and the Hawks closed the game out with a layup.

Ezejiofo led the Choctaws with 18 points, going 7-of-12 from the field. Junior Tory Rice tallied his sixth double-double of the year with 16 points and 10 rebounds, going 6-of-10 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. The Choctaws were 19-of-24 (79%) from the foul line in the game. Junior Johnny Rucker also had 16 points and three assists in the game.

Jordan Jacks led all scorers with 25 points, going 12-of-21 from the field and tallying a double-double with 10 rebounds

The Choctaws will be back in action on Monday night when they host Lee University at 8:00 p.m. in A.E. Wood Coliseum.

by Ms. College Media Relations