SCOOBA, Miss. (Interstat) — The East Mississippi Lions defeated the Mississippi Delta Trojans 84-77 in a men’s junior college basketball game Thursday night.

East Mississippi used a strong second half to pull away after the teams were tied 35-35 at halftime. DeAndre Lewis led the Lions with 20 points and five rebounds. Josh Brown added 17 points.

Mississippi Delta, which fell to 1-8 overall, was led by a 35-point first-half performance but could not maintain the pace. East Mississippi improved its season record to 10-11. The Lions were projected as heavy favorites to win the contest.