Tigers Hold Off Bevill State to Earn Home Win

Marion, AL. – The MMI Tigers overcame a second half surge by the Bears of Bevill State Community College Monday evening to earn a 90-88 win. Marion will travel to Wallace Community College-Selma Thursday, February 1, for an ACCC re-match; tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Bevill State scored the first two points of the game, but the Tigers' Nicholas Cham tied it on the home team's first possession, and they slowly built a lead. Jaylen Carrington, who paced MMI with 17 points in the first half, found Aidan Driggers under the basket for one of his six assists to extend the lead to double digits, 23-13, with a little over nine minutes to play before intermission.

MMI had their largest lead, seventeen points, at the 6:25 mark when Julian Whitfield got an offensive putback and a free throw. After Marion got into some foul trouble, BSCC went on a small run and cut the lead to just four points, 43-39, at halftime.

The Tigers opened the second half with an easy basket and slowly built the lead back to ten in the first four minutes when Cham put back an offensive rebound. After Cham picked up his fourth foul and had to leave the game, the Bear put together a run and tied the game at 60 points each with 11:30 to play in regulation. After a Marion missed shot, BSCC took their first lead since 0-2 and the Tigers head coach Timothy Rodgers called a timeout. Tyrone Wright scored on back-to-back plays and the Tigers took the lead back, 64-63. That lead was short-lived for Marion as the Bears rallied, trying to take control of the game. The visitors from Jasper, Alabama built their biggest lead, six points, with a little under eight minutes on the clock.

A technical foul on a Bevill State player gave Carrington two free throws and the Tigers the ball. A three-pointer from the left corner by Dashley Estime cut the deficit to just one, 73-74. Back-to-back baskets by Wright extended Marion's lead to three, 77-74 and after an offensive rebound by the Bears, they called a timeout. Carrington found Wright under the goal on their next possession and once again the lead was back to three points. Back-to-back fouls by Marion gave BSCC a trip to the charity stripe and after hitting three of four, the game was tied at 79.

Wright dunked to give the slim two-point lead back to MMI and a Bevill missed shot saw Cham fouled, earning a trip to the free throw line where he made both attempts; Tigers up 83-79. The Tigers extended the lead to 87-83 and called another timeout. The Bears got an old fashioned three-point play on their possession, a basket plus free throw to cut the lead back one. After two misses at the free throw line for MMI, Bevill State CC scored to take the lead back, 87-88, with under 40 seconds remaining.

Cham drove the lane and scored, and Marion called a quick timeout. With the Tigers holding an 89-88 lead with 25.9 seconds remaining, a defensive stop by the home team gave them the ball out of bounds with four seconds left. Cham was fouled and made one of two from the line; MMI up 90-88. With 2.1 seconds on the clock the Bears attempted a half-court shot but it rimmed out, giving the win to Marion.

Jaylen Carrington paced the Tigers with 24 points and six assists. Tyrone Wright earned another double-double – 23 points and 12 rebounds. Nicholas Cham added 22 points. Also scoring for MMI was Aidan Driggers (8), Julian Whitfield (6), Dashley Estime (3), Johnathon Crawford (2), and Jamarion Ezell (2