EDITOR'S NOTE: This is part one of a three-part series that highlights some of the best performances from the 2022-23 athletic season at Northeast Mississippi Community College. Click HERE to watch the accompanying video.
BOONEVILLE, Miss. - Northeast Mississippi Community College student-athletes had a flair for the dramatic during the 2022-23 academic year.
The Lady Tigers and Tigers wowed their fans from the start of football in the fall to the last pitch of baseball in the spring with walk off wins, highlight reel dunks and thrilling touchdowns.
The following are five of the top plays from Northeast's 10 intercollegiate programs during its 74th year of competition inside the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
#1 Stephenson's Game Winner
From being named as the statewide player of the week to an all-conference recipient, Corey Stephenson (Hueytown, Ala.) had a lot of outstanding moments in his freshman season with the Tigers.
Stephenson played the role of hero against Mississippi Delta Community College. He took the inbound pass after a made basket by the Trojans and raced down the floor to knock in a free throw line jump shot to give the Tigers a one-point lead with less than 10 seconds to go.
The Tigers were able to have one last stand on defense to hang on to an 83-82 victory inside Bonner Arnold Coliseum. Stephenson had 21 points and four rebounds in that matchup.
#2 Elliott's Grand Slam Propels Tigers to Game One Win
Northeast's baseball team needed something grand to put them over the hump during game one of the first round of the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament against Jones College.
Lock Elliott (Oxford) had homered in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Bobcats' lead to one run. He came up in the next inning with the bases loaded and the Tigers down by two.
Elliott hit a ball deep down the right field that just snuck inside the foul pole and over the wall for a grand slam to give the Tigers the lead. Northeast went on to win the opener 14-8 and eventually swept the series from Jones.
#3 Rice's Between the Leg Dunk
On a night where everything went right, the Northeast men's basketball team used a 22-0 run in the first half run to pull away from rival Northwest Mississippi Community College.
The Tigers scored 66 points in the first 20 minutes while shooting 69.7 percent from the field and 60 percent from three-point range. Jalin Rice (Madison) led that effort with 16 points before the break.
In the second half, Rice created some magic on a breakaway steal. He took the ball and transferred it between his legs while in the air for a one-handed dunk that drew a raucous reaction from the home crowd.
#4 Putt to Garrett Times Two Equals Six
Carter Putt (Columbus) wasted no time in responding to East Mississippi Community College's kickoff return for a touchdown on the opening play of the game on a cool October night.
Kylan Garrett (Independence) caught Putt's first pass and took it 65 yards to the end zone. The next Tiger drive ended the exact same way as Garrett was on the receiving end of a 55-yard touchdown.
Northeast's defense forced seven turnovers and held nationally ranked East Mississippi to their lowest passing output of the season in a 31-21 triumph inside Tiger Stadium.
#5 Young's Outfield Assist Throws Out Tying Run
Every play can be crucial in a rivalry game. That holds especially true when both teams come into the matchup ranked in the top 20 of the NJCAA Division II softball rankings.
The Tigers held a 2-1 lead at Itawamba Community College in a pitchers duel heading into the bottom of the seventh. A line drive sailed over the head of the right fielder Elisa Claire Young (Thrasher) with one out in the inning.
Young grabbed the ball quickly and got it in to shortstop Charly Clanton (New Hope), who then threw it to Alexie Griffin (Atoka, Tenn.) at third to tag the runner out. That retired the potential tying run and helped the Tigers hold on for the game one win.