Booneville, Miss. – A huge rivalry matchup awaits the Northeast Mississippi Community College basketball programs when league action returns to the City of Hospitality following a month-long hiatus.
The Lady Tigers and Tigers welcome Itawamba Community College to legendary Bonner Arnold Coliseum on Thursday, January 15 for a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader that is presented through the 6th Man Club by Magnolia Regional Health Center.
Those that cannot attend the contests can watch them live on NEMCCTV, which is the new broadcast home of all nine Northeast intercollegiate athletic programs. Join Jeremy Kennedy, the Voice of the Tigers, and Bryan Fenley at 5:15 p.m. for the pregame show by visiting www.nemcctv.com.
Fans can also keep up during the events with live in-game updates on Twitter by searching and following @NEMCCTigers.
Northeast's women face a pivotal test in their first home Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) North Division matchup of the new year. The Lady Indians hold a solid 12-2 record and are currently in first place in the conference standings.
"The focus is it's another division game on the journey to win a championship and get seeded for the playoffs," said Northeast head coach Brian Alexander. "We understand how big it is and we're excited for the challenge."
Both the Lady Tigers and Itawamba boast similar team statistics. Northeast is 20th among all National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) member institutions with 80.7 points per contest while the Lady Indians are not far behind at 25th with 79.5.
The Lady Tigers are 10th countrywide with 17.6 made free throws each outing while Itawamba is 19th with a 44.5 field goal percentage. Northeast is 31st with an average of 12.9 steals and the Lady Indians gather 17.1 offensive rebounds, which places them at 32nd.
Three-time MACJC Player of the Week Aushiana Ivy paces the Lady Tigers (6-7, 1-2) with 16.7 points and 7.6 rebounds. LaKeiya Lane is 32nd in the nation in three-point percentage at 42.9 and has reached double figures in seven consecutive games.
Harper Newell is one of the top 30 players in the NJCAA with a 57.4 field goal percentage while Jasmine Allen leads the entire country with a superb 93.3 percent mark from the free throw line.
Itawamba (12-2, 3-0) has claimed its last seven matchups by an average margin of victory of 13.4 points. Jeronia Allen is one of three double-digit scorers for the Lady Indians at 13.8 while Kaelin Kneeland controls the paint with 10.1 rebounds.
Northeast has won five straight contests on the men's side, including a thrilling double overtime win at Northwest Mississippi Community College. The Tigers are tied with East Mississippi Community College and Holmes Community College for the most overall wins in the division.
"It's going to be a big game," Northeast headman Cord Wright said. "We've got to protect our home court. I expect a good crowd to help support our guys."
Raheem Sorrell continues to excel for the Tigers and is 12th in the individual rankings statewide with a 54.8 field goal percentage. Dimario Jackson is fifth in the MACJC with 17.9 points and fourth with an 86.7 percent ledger at the charity stripe.
Al Azulphar remains a steady presence at the center position for Northeast. He directs the Tigers (9-5, 1-2) with 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game and Desmin Harris adds a team-high 1.1 steals.
Itawamba turns to University of Louisiana at Lafayette signee Tyrone Wooten for its offensive production. He heads the Indians (5-9, 1-2) with 14.2 points, 5.4 boards and 3.6 assists.
Both Northeast squads hope to secure a measure of payback after Itawamba swept the yearly series between the schools during the 2013-14 season.