Roadrunners close first semester with split in Mississippi

Dec. 8 Northeast Mississippi Community College in Boonville, Mississippi

The State Fair Community College (SFCC) Roadrunners opened their portion of the Harvey Childers Classic with an 80-68 loss to the host Northeast Mississippi Community College in Boonville, Mississippi on Friday night, Dec. 8.

The game featured runs by both teams. SFCC jumped out to an early 6-3 lead to open the contest. Northeast Mississippi Community College took a 21-12 lead with 13 minutes and 14 seconds left in the half. SFCC took the lead back 28-27 with less than four minutes remaining, courtesy of a pair of free throws from freshman forward Isaiah Jackson.

Northeast Mississippi went on a run to take a 37-28 lead late in the half. SFCC cut into the deficit once again, but Northeast Mississippi led 37-33 at halftime.

SFCC held a 51-50 advantage with 11 minutes and 30 seconds remaining, off a three-point basket from sophomore forward Cliff Barrow. Northeast Mississippi went on a big run to take a 69-59 lead with about five minutes remaining in the game. Northeast Mississippi made the plays in the final minutes to secure the victory.

Freshman forward Thomas Diew led four Roadrunners in double-figure scoring with 16 points. Barrow, Jackson, and freshman guard Steven Samuels all contributed 12 points each. Diew pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds to finish his double-double. Sophomore guard Avant Coleman recorded a team-high four assists.

Dec. 9 Northwest Mississippi Community College in Boonville, Mississippi

SFCC (6-9) closed their portion of the Harvey Childers Classic with an 88-78 victory over Northwest Mississippi Community College on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 9 in Boonville, Mississippi. The game featured 19 lead changes and six ties.

SFCC led a back-and-forth first half 40-37 at halftime. The Roadrunners took a 14-point advantage in the second half and made the plays necessary down the stretch to emerge with a victory.

Diew led four Roadrunners in double figures with 18 points. Jackson contributed 17 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Coleman added 16 points, a team-high seven assists and a team-high three steals. Barrow added 12 points. As a team, SFCC only recorded eight turnovers. The Roadrunners shot 51.7% from the field, 48% beyond the three-point arc and 87.5% from the free-throw line.

David Rohrbach

SFCC Athletics