Led by a 39-point performance from Tai'Reon Joseph, the Warriors of East Central Community College hung on to an 80-78 win over the Mississippi Community College Bulldogs in front of a raucous crowd in Brackeen-Wood Gymnasium in Decatur. The win pushed the Warriors' record to 11-7 overall and to 2-4 in MACCC play. The Bulldogs fell to 8-11, 2-5.

The Warriors led by as many as eight in the first five minutes of play as David Berry came out of the gates firing for ECCC. That early lead dwindled to just one, 21-22, midway through the first half of the contest as the Bulldogs found their footing, but the Warriors hit right back as Julius Ellerbe began driving hard to the rim and powering his way to points. Joseph also began heating up from all parts of the floor, and Antwan Hatten crashed the offensive boards to clean up any misses with put-back baskets. The explosive turn of events pushed the Warrior lead to 18, 46-28, late in the half, and ECCC took a 14-point, 48-34, lead into the locker room. 

The second half was solid for ECCC for the first 17 minutes, but the Warriors went cold in the final three minutes as the Bulldogs mounted a comeback. Joseph hit his fifth three-pointer of the night with 3:25 remaining in the contest, but it was the last score from the floor for ECCC. MGCCC scored nine unanswered points, but some steady free throws from Berry in the final seconds pulled the lead to five, 80-75. Gulf Coast made a buzzer-beating three to close out the game. 

Joseph's 39-point game marks his fifth 30+ night of the season for ECCC. Ellerbe added 13 points and nine rebounds, while Berry added 10. Jay'Lan McNair came off the bench to score nine and also hauled in nine boards. Hatten finished with four offensive rebounds. ECCC outrebounded MGCCC by three, 45-42, and shot 45 percent to Gulf Coast's 42 percent.

The Warriors are on the road on Monday, January 30 as the team travels to Senatobia to take on the Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers at 6 p.m.