WILBERFORCE, Ohio — Central State (OH) narrowly defeated Mississippi College 69-64 in a competitive matchup at Beacom/Lewis Gym.
The first half began with Central State (OH) gaining an early advantage as Emanuel Henriques hit a three-pointer at 19:12 to jumpstart their scoring. Mississippi College kept pace, with
Brody Davis and
Avaughn Johnson contributing key points, including a layup by Johnson at 17:17 that tied the score.
Ramar Pryor of Central State was active, scoring both from the field and the free-throw line, helping his team maintain a narrow lead. Meanwhile,
Marcel Bridges and Johnson kept the Choctaws close, with Bridges scoring a layup at 1:12 to cut the deficit to two. Keionte Cornelius closed the half with a three-pointer at 1:00, giving Central State a 28-23 lead heading into the second half.
Central State maintained a narrow lead throughout much of the second half, with Khalil Luster's three-pointer at 14:46 extending their advantage to 36-29. The Choctaws responded with a series of successful plays, including a three-pointer by
DeMarcus Powe that cut the deficit to five at 12:46.
Down the stretch, MC's
Phil Nelson tied the game at 55 with a layup at 2:35. In the final moments, Keionte Cornelius hit two crucial free throws to push Central State ahead 59-56 with 13 seconds left. However,
Tremaine Dixon forced overtime with a three-pointer at the four-second mark, bringing the score to 59-59.
The Choctaws took a brief lead early in overtime with Johnson's free throw at 4:19, bringing the score to 60-59. Nelson then extended the lead to 62-59 with two successful free throws at 2:41. However, Central State responded with a 3-pointer from Luster at 2:11, leveling the score at 62-62 and then taking the lead shortly after.
Despite Land's late layup closing the gap to 65-64, Central State secured the win with a layup and two free throws in the final moments. The game ended with Central State on top, 69-64.
Johnson led the team with 14 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Bridges contributed nine points and added five rebounds. Powe also tallied nine points, converting three of eight field goal attempts.
Jakob Vigneault made an impact defensively with two steals.
Looking ahead, Mississippi College will face Albany State on Saturday, Nov. 15. The game will tip off at 5 p.m. CST at John Wooden Family Fieldhouse in Xenia, Ohio.
