February 9, 2024

In a fiercely contested MACCC conference matchup, the Coahoma Community College Tigers faced off against the Meridian Community College Eagles, resulting in a hard-fought battle that ended with a 79-70 victory for the Eagles.

The Eagles took an early 7-2 lead, setting the tone for an intense first half. Jaden Slaughter's layup narrowed the gap to 7-6, with Dontae Prescott's layup then propelling the Tigers into their first lead of the night at 8-7. However, Meridian responded with sharpshooting from beyond the arc, hitting their third triple in under four minutes to regain the lead at 13-8. RiCarvis Waters' mid-range shot kept the Tigers within striking distance, but the Eagles extended their lead to nine points.

Dontae Prescott led a resilient Tigers' comeback, cutting the deficit to 23-28 with five minutes remaining in the first half. Despite Meridian's three-point prowess, JaQai Murray's performance provided a bright spot for the Tigers. As the first half concluded, the Tigers trailed 35-40, showing their determination to stay in the game.

The second half saw Meridian once again assert their dominance, jumping to a 50-37 lead. However, foul trouble for the Eagles allowed the Tigers to claw back, narrowing the gap to 43-50 with 14 minutes left on the clock. Jaden Slaughter's floater brought the Tigers within three points at 51-54 with under 11 minutes to go.

Demonstrating relentless determination, reminiscent of their previous second-half performance against Itawamba, the Tigers continued to fight. A timeout seemed to rejuvenate Meridian, as they embarked on an 11-2 run to secure a 64-53 lead. Despite the Tigers' valiant efforts, the Eagles managed to hold on, ultimately claiming a 79-70 victory. The Tigers now improve to 9-6 overall and 1-5 in MACCC conference play. 

The Tigers will return home on February 12th, where they will face the MGCCC Bulldogs at 7:30 PM. The game's theme is a blackout, and fans are encouraged to come out and support the Tigers as they aim to bounce back from the hard-fought loss in Meridian.

STATS
Jaqai Murray 24, Jaden Slaughter 16, Dontae Prescott 9, Jonathan Noudjihidi 8, Korea McKay 8, Arthur Tate 3, RiCarvis Waters 2.