BOONEVILLE, Miss. - Postseason basketball is returning to the campus of Northeast Mississippi Community College for the first time in nearly two decades.
The Tigers welcome Baton Rouge (La.) Community College for the second round of the 2021 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 23 Tournament at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 1.
General admission tickets are available for a cost of $7 by clicking HERE. Northeast students, faculty and staff, 6th Man Club members and parents or family of players on a pass list will continue to receive free admission with valid identification.
Those that cannot attend the contest can watch it live and in high definition on the Black Channel of NEMCCTV. Tune in beginning at 5:50 p.m. for the pregame show by visiting www.nemcctv.com or the "Northeast Mississippi Community College" app on Amazon and Roku television devices.
The Northeast Broadcasting Network also includes radio affiliate WOWL Fun 91. An audio simulcast featuring Jody Presley and Carter Smith, the Voices of the Tigers, can be heard on frequencies 91.9 FM from Burnsville, 92.9 FM from Florence, Ala., and 102.3 FM from Killen, Ala.
The winner advances to the NJCAA Region 23 quarterfinals against either Delgado (La.) Community College or Meridian Community College. That matchup is slated for Tuesday, April 6.
This is the first playoff game inside Bonner Arnold Coliseum since the championships of the 2004 Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) Tournament.
Specifically, it is the first postseason matchup for the Northeast men inside their home venue since February 22, 2000. The Tigers captured the sixth MACCC title in program history that evening with a victory over Northwest Mississippi Community College.
"Being at home is a plus for us," said Northeast head coach Cord Wright. "I think our record at home has shown that over the last two years especially. Hopefully the energy from the fans and the students is at an ultimate high. I know our guys will be jacked up."
The Tigers (12-3) recently captured their seventh MACCC crown along with a second straight division championship. Northeast enters the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament as the No. 2 overall seed.
Three athletes are averaging double figures for the Tigers as the playoffs get underway. Jalin Rice out of Madison Central High School leads the way with 12.8 points and a team-best 4.2 made field goals per contest.
Olive Branch's Ken Lewis and Kylan Blackmon of Oxford follow with 11.9 and 10.8 points, respectively. Jacob Tracey of Fort Myers, Fla., is third in the MACCC with 4.9 assists each outing.
The Bears, who are the No. 18 seed, defeated Copiah-Lincoln Community College by a score of 75-59 to reach the second round. Baton Rouge finished third in the Louisiana Community College Athletic Conference (LCCAC) standings.
Jayhlon Young accounted for 21 points against the Wolves and is currently third on the team with 12.3 points per game. Cameron Massey tops the Bears (7-8) with an average of 13.5 points.
This is the eighth all-time meeting between Northeast and Baton Rouge. The Tigers have won the last five matchups, including the most recent on November 20, 2018 at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Thanksgiving Classic by a final result of 97-82.