Indians handed loss against Northeast

Indians handed loss to Northeast
Lee Adams/LetsGoICC.com

FULTON, Miss. – The Itawamba Community College Indians lost a closely fought battle against archrival Northeast in the final seconds, 76-74 Monday night.

The Indians (7-14, 3-7 MACJC North Division) led for most of the contest, but it was neck-and-neck late with three lead changes and four ties in the final five minutes.

The Indians took an early lead in the first half on a basket by Howard Thomas (Brandon) and were on top most of the half. In the closing minutes of the half, the Tigers tied the contest, but back-to-back three-pointers by Dee Gates (Baldwyn) propelled the Indians to a 43-37 lead at the break.

The Indians led by as much as 14 in the second half, but a 13-3 run by the Tigers tied the game at 65. The next five minutes was a back-and-forth battle that would be decided in the final seconds.

With 3.6 seconds remaining, a questionable foul call on the Indians sent the Tigers to charity stripe where they hit both free throws. On the next play, Indian sophomore guard Gates went coast-to-coast to shoot a contested layup. With a lot of contact on the play and a questionable no-foul call, the shot was off the mark giving the Tigers the victory.

Kevis Fleming (Robinsonville) scored a team-high 17 points, followed by Gates with 15 and Tyrone Wooten (Memphis, TN) and Thomas with 13 each.

The Indians will host East Mississippi Thursday night for their final home stand of the season. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. with the Indians recognizing their sophomores prior to the game.

For more information on ICC men's basketball, follow the Indians on Twitter (@LetsGoICC).