BOONEVILLE, Miss. (Interstat) — The Northeast Mississippi Tigers used a dominant second-half performance to pull away from the Itawamba Indians for a 75-63 victory in a men’s junior college basketball game Monday night.

The game was a tale of two halves, with the first quarter featuring a blistering offensive pace. Itawamba’s Damarion Winston and DJ Davis combined for early scoring to keep the Indians competitive, but Northeast Mississippi’s Ezekiel Udozorh and Javion Stephen provided a consistent counter-punch. The Tigers held a narrow 34-32 lead after a back-and-forth opening period.

The second quarter, however, belonged decisively to the home team. The Tigers tightened their defense and capitalized on Itawamba’s mistakes, outscoring the Indians 41-31 after halftime. Northeast Mississippi’s efficiency was the story, as they scored 75 points from just 63 possessions for an offensive rating of 119.3. Itawamba, by contrast, managed 63 points from 67 possessions, an offensive rating of 94.3.

Northeast Mississippi’s victory was fueled by a balanced and efficient offensive attack. Ezekiel Udozorh led all scorers with 16 points and added six rebounds. Javion Stephen orchestrated the offense, contributing 14 points and a game-high six assists. The Tigers’ depth was on display with key contributions from Zane Tipler, who hit three shots from beyond the arc for nine points, and Issac Gilbert, who scored nine points and swatted three shots.

For Itawamba, Damarion Winston and DJ Davis shouldered the scoring load, each finishing with 16 points. Kyler Fox provided a versatile stat line of six points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocks, but the Indians struggled with ball security, committing 11 turnovers compared to just seven for the Tigers.

The Tigers also won the battle from beyond the arc and at the free-throw line. Northeast Mississippi connected on eight of 23 three-point attempts, while Itawamba made just four of 16. From the charity stripe, the Tigers converted 19 of 25 attempts, outperforming the Indians, who shot 17 of 27.

The win improves Northeast Mississippi’s season record to 2-1, while Itawamba evens its record at 4-4. Both teams return to action Wednesday, with Northeast Mississippi hosting Lawson State and Itawamba welcoming Hinds.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Northeast Mississippi was projected with a 61.90 percent probability to win, a forecast they fulfilled with their strong second-half execution.