Late run lifts Co-Lin over Hinds in Region XXIII Quarterfinals

CLINTON, Miss. – The Lady Wolves of Copiah-Lincoln Community College scored nine unanswered points in the final two minutes Wednesday night to secure a 69-64 victory over Hinds in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Region XXIII Tournament on the campus of Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss. The Lady Wolves are now 23-4 on the year.  Co-Lin will face Holmes Community College on Thursday, March 8 in the semifinals at 7:30. Watch the game live at colinathletics.com or listen live on WMJU 104.3 FM in Brookhaven.

Action was slow for both teams early on as both were scoreless three minutes into the first quarter. The Lady Wolves finally found their offense and poured in 18 points in the quarter to take an 18-8 lead into the second.

The Lady Bulldogs cut that ten point lead to just three on three separate occasions in the second, but an 11-1 Co-Lin run led by Nakeisha Holcomb and Alexus Holt gave the Lady Wolves a 38-25 lead with just 25 seconds left in the half. Co-Lin led 38-27 going into the locker room.

In the third, Co-Lin grew their lead to a game-high 18, 49-31, after Holcomb drained a pair of free throws with 4:51 left in the quarter.

Hinds battled back and went on a 16-5 run that stretched into the fourth quarter and cut Co-Lin's advantage to just five, 54-49.

The Lady Bulldogs used that momentum to go on another scoring streak just a few possessions later. The 13-4 Hinds run gave the Lady Bulldogs a four-point, 62-58, lead with just 3:41 remaining in the game.

Co-Lin began to fight back. Two big free throws from Karry Callahan brought the Lady Wolves back within two, 62-60. Hinds made two free throws on the other end to stretch the lead back to four, 64-60, but they would prove Hinds' last points of the night with 1:51 remaining in the contest. An and-one from Co-Lin's Kyeonia Harris brought the Lady Wolves within one, 64-63, and was a huge swing in momentum. A late Co-Lin rebound and a Hinds turnover resulted in two Co-Lin layups from Holt and Holcomb, which gave the Lady Wolves a 69-64 win.

Harris led the Lady Wolves in the scoring column with 19 points. Holt picked up a double-double with 14 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Holcomb came off the bench and netted 17. Callahan brought down 10 rebounds and led Co-Lin with six assist and five blocks.

Emesha Chatman led Hinds with 19 points, while Victoria Johnson added 10. Nakaylis Washington and Atlantis Thomas posted eight rebounds. 

Co-Lin shot 44 percent (24-for-54) from the field, 47 percent (7-for-15) from the three-point line, and 67 percent (14-for-21) from the foul stripe. The Lady Bulldogs finished the night shooting 38 percent (27-for-71) from the field, 11 percent (2-for-18) from beyond the arc, and 47 percent (8-for-17) from the free throw line.

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