DECATUR, Miss. — The East Central Community College Lady Warriors opened their conference schedule with a tough 63-56 loss to the Northeast Mississippi Community College Lady Tigers on Monday night at the Brackeen-Wood Gymnasium. Despite a spirited effort, the Lady Warriors fell short against a well-balanced Northeast team.

The first half saw both teams battle defensively, with East Central (4-7, 0-1) trailing by just eight points at the break, 35-27. Guard play was key for the Lady Warriors, as their backcourt duo kept the offense flowing with timely shooting and strong ball movement. However, Northeast Mississippi (9-7, 1-0) used their depth and interior presence to maintain a narrow lead heading into halftime.

In the second half, the Lady Tigers began to assert themselves on both ends of the court, outscoring East Central 33-29. Northeast's ability to control the boards and capitalize on second-chance opportunities proved critical, as they built a lead midway through the fourth quarter that the Lady Warriors couldn't overcome.

East Central was led by their standout scorer, Kelviana Parhm, who finished with 15 points, including two three-pointers that kept the Lady Warriors within striking distance. Ruby Brannon posted a career-high 11 points. Their post players also contributed, combining 21 points and 25 total rebounds, but it wasn't enough to counter Northeast's balanced attack.

Northeast's leading scorer poured in 19 points, while their frontcourt dominated with a combined 22 offensive rebounds. The Lady Tigers also benefited from their strong free-throw shooting in the closing minutes, going 8-for-10 from the stripe to seal the win.

Turnovers were a significant factor, with East Central committing 35 compared to Northeast's 19. The Lady Tigers turned those miscues into points, creating a gap the Lady Warriors struggled to close.

The loss drops East Central to 4-7 on the season and 0-1 in conference play. The Lady Warriors will look to bounce back this Thursday in a road matchup with conference foe Pearl River as they continue to seek their first conference win. Despite the setback, the team showed flashes of potential and will aim to build on those positives moving forward.