SCOOBA — Primarily comprised of home-and-home series with intra-divisional opponents, East Mississippi Community College’s 2021 men’s and women’s basketball schedules have been announced.

Delayed and shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing virus protocols, the 2021 Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) basketball schedule was voted on by athletic directors from the member schools and approved by the school presidents of the MACC.  The 2021 MACCC basketball schedule consists of 14 divisional games for each of the conference’s 15 schools.  Since the MACCC’s seven-member North Division has one less school than the South Division, the MACCC North teams are slated to play a pair of intra-divisional opponents a third time in addition to the regular home-and-home series.

The MACCC’s composite basketball schedule is set to primarily consist of 17 total game dates slated for Mondays and Thursdays during a two-month regular season.  The opening date is currently set for Jan. 21 with the regular season slated to close out on March 22.  This season due to COVID-19 protocols in place that will likely limit personnel allowed at all MACCC basketball venues, member schools will not be playing men’s/women’s doubleheaders at the same site on a scheduled game night.  Instead, the men’s and women’s contests scheduled between two schools on a given game night will be played at opposite home courts of the participating teams.

East Mississippi’s 2021 basketball season is scheduled to begin on Thursday, Jan. 21 against MACCC North Division foe Northwest Mississippi.  On that night, Coach Billy Begley’s EMCC Lions will play host to the Northwest Rangers in Scooba, while Coach Sharon Thompson’s reigning conference champion EMCC Lady Lions will travel to Senatobia to take on Northwest in women’s action.  Tip-off times for both games that evening are set for 6 p.m.

EMCC’s MACCC North Division slate will continue with contests against Itawamba (Jan. 28), Northeast Mississippi (Feb. 1), Coahoma (Feb. 4), Holmes (Feb. 8) and Mississippi Delta (Feb. 11).  The second round of the intra-divisional action is set to begin on Feb. 15 and continue through March 15.  EMCC’s teams are scheduled to then meet Northeast and Holmes for a third time this season on March 18 and 22, respectively.

In addition to their 14-game schedule against intra-divisional opponents, the EMCC men are also slated to meet MACCC South Division member Southwest Mississippi during a February home-and-home series.  Following a scheduled 2 p.m. contest on Saturday, Feb. 6 in Scooba, the Lions and Bears are also set to play each other three weeks later (Feb. 27) in Summit.  The Lions are also slated to travel to Meridian Community College to take on the Eagles on Saturday, Feb. 13.  Tip-off for the EMCC-MCC men’s contest is set for 2 p.m. at Graham Gymnasium in Meridian.

All EMCC home men’s and women’s basketball games are scheduled to be live-streamed at www.EMCCAthletics.com/live.

2021 EMCC MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

(Home games in all CAPS)

Thurs., Jan. 21 – NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI – 6:00 p.m.

Thurs., Jan. 28 – at Itawamba – 5:30 p.m.

Mon., Feb. 1 – NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI – 6:00 p.m.

Thurs., Feb. 4 – at Coahoma – 6:00 p.m.

Sat., Feb. 6 – SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI – 2:00 p.m.

Mon., Feb. 8 – HOLMES – 6:00 p.m.

Thurs., Feb. 11 – at Mississippi Delta – 6:00 p.m.

Sat., Feb. 13 – at Meridian – 2:00 p.m.

Mon., Feb. 15 – at Northwest Mississippi – 6:00 p.m.

Thurs., Feb. 25 – ITAWAMBA – 6:00 p.m.

Sat., Feb. 27 – at Southwest Mississippi – 2:00 p.m.

Mon., Mar. 1 – at Northeast Mississippi – 6:00 p.m.

Thurs., Mar. 4 – COAHOMA – 6:00 p.m.

Mon., Mar. 8 – at Holmes – 6:00 p.m.

Mon., Mar. 15 – MISSISSIPPI DELTA – 6:00 p.m.

Thurs., Mar. 18 – at Northeast Mississippi – 6:00 p.m.

Mon., Mar. 22 – HOLMES – 6:00 p.m.

2021 EMCC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

(Home games in all CAPS)

Thurs., Jan. 21 – at Northwest Mississippi – 6:00 p.m.

Thurs., Jan. 28 – ITAWAMBA – 6:00 p.m.

Mon., Feb. 1 – at Northeast Mississippi – 6:00 p.m.

Thurs., Feb. 4 – COAHOMA – 6:00 p.m.

Mon., Feb. 8 – at Holmes – 6:00 p.m.

Thurs., Feb. 11 – MISSISSIPPI DELTA – 6:00 p.m.

Mon., Feb. 15 – NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI – 6:00 p.m.

Thurs., Feb. 25 – at Itawamba – 5:30 p.m.

Mon., Mar. 1 – NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI – 6:00 p.m.

Thurs., Mar. 4 – at Coahoma – 6:00 p.m.

Mon., Mar. 8 – HOLMES – 6:00 p.m.

Mon., Mar. 15 – at Mississippi Delta – 6:00 p.m.

Thurs., Mar. 18 – NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI – 6:00 p.m.

Mon., Mar. 22 – at Holmes – 6:00 p.m.