(Interstat) — Northeast Mississippi held off a late rally to defeat East Mississippi 87-83 in a men’s junior college basketball game Monday. The visiting Tigers built an 11-point halftime lead, scoring 47 points in the first quarter, but the Lions surged with 47 points in the second half to tighten the score. Maurice Henderson led all scorers with 27 points for East Mississippi, while Javion Stephen paced Northeast Mississippi with 18 points and five assists. The win improved the Tigers’ record to 12-10, while the Lions fell to 10-14.