BOONEVILLE, Miss. - The hallowed halls of Bonner Arnold Coliseum have seen their fair share of special moments since its doors first opened on the campus of Northeast Mississippi Community College in the early 1950s.
Add another marquee milestone to that list as the men's basketball program broke the modern-day record for consecutive wins inside its home venue at 30 with a 72-67 decision over East Mississippi Community College on Monday, January 24.
"That's a testament to a lot of different things between players and atmosphere," said Tigers headman Cord Wright. "I'm super proud to be a part of that. I can't thank our crowds and band enough. They're such a huge part of all those wins."
The previous mark of 29 straight triumphs was set over a period from November 1988-February 1990 under future hall of fame head coach Harvey Childers. The Tigers played for a national championship in the middle of that successful stretch.
The current winning streak dates back to the 2019-20 season opener in which Northeast defeated Volunteer State (Tenn.) Community College. Ironically, the last team to beat the Tigers on the Booneville campus is East Mississippi.
However, Northeast did just enough to prevent the Lions from ruining an historic night. The Tigers held a double-digit advantage at 66-55 with 2:54 remaining in the contest following a pair of free tosses by Kylan Blackmon.
East Mississippi (12-3, 5-1) cut its deficit to two possessions at 69-63 with just over one minute to go. But Northeast got two successive defensive stops and a pair of clutch free throws from Steven Gentry to wrap up the victory.
It was a battle of two of the top 25 teams in the country. The Lions appeared at No. 7 in the newest National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) rankings while the Tigers checked in at No. 20.
Northeast (15-2, 7-1) had four players reach double figures. Blackmon had a game-best 18 points plus six assists while Keithean Brooks and Hobert Grayson combined for 22 key points off the bench.
Ten of Brooks' 12 points came in the first half. He accounted for seven points in a row, including a three-pointer and four free throws, as part of a 9-0 run by the Tigers that pushed them ahead 30-23 with 3:05 left before intermission.
"Those were big shots," Brooks said. "The last couple of games coach (Wright) has been telling me, 'Your time is coming.' I just stepped up and did what my team needed."
Zeke Cook produced his sixth straight double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Northeast committed a season-low five turnovers and had 13 more offensive boards than East Mississippi.
Next up for the Tigers is a rematch of the 2021 NJCAA Region 23 Tournament title game at Holmes Community College on Thursday, January 27. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Frank Branch Coliseum.