Bulldogs to face East Miss. Lions in Region XXIII opener Wednesday

GOODMAN --- The Holmes Community College Bulldogs will play the MACJC state champion East Mississippi Community College Lions in the quarterfinals of the Region XXIII Tournament at 3 p.m. on Wednesday at Mississippi College.

Holmes heads into the tournament with a 15-9 record. Holmes fell in the MACJC opener on Tuesday vs. Pearl River, 60-48. East Mississippi, 19-7, defeated Jones in the MACJC State Tournament finals, 61-58, East Mississippi defeated East Central, 70-53, and Pearl River, 62-57, to make it to the finals. Wednesday's game can be watched live at holmesathletics.com/cardinal-channel.

Holmes and East Mississippi split two games during the regular season. Holmes won 75-74 in Goodman, and East Mississippi won 70-59 in Scooba.

The other games in the Region XXIII tournament are: Southern Shreveport vs. Gulf Coast, 1 p.m.; Pearl River vs. Northeast, 5 p.m.; and Jones vs. East Central, 7 p.m. The winner of Holmes-East Miss. will play the winner of Southern Shreveport-Gulf Coast at 5 p.m. Thursday and the winner of the Pearl River-Northeast will play the winner of Jones-East Central at 7 p.m. Thursday. The two winners will play at 7 p.m. Friday for the Region XXIII championship.

Holmes is led in scoring by sophomore guard/forward Kassim Nicholson, who is averaging 15.3 points per game. Sophomore guard Czar Perry is averaging 14.7 points per game and sophomore forward Winford Ross is averaging 9.6 points per game. As a team, the Bulldogs are averaging 73 points per game and are shooting 45.3 percent from the floor, 35.8 percent from three-point range and 69 percent from the free-throw line.

Holmes is giving up 67.6 points per game.

East Mississippi is led by sophomore guard Terryonte Thomas, who is averaging 13.9 points per game. Sophomore guard Dewayne Cox is averaging 12.8 points per game while sophomore guard Robert Davis, Jr. is averaging 12.7 points per game and sophomore forward Darrious Agnew is averaging 11.3 points per game. As a team, East Mississippi is averaging 75.1 points per game and are shooting 45.3 percent from the floor, 32.9 percent from the three-point line and 73.5 percent from the free-throw line.

East Mississippi is giving up 65.85 points per game.