1954-1972

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Warriors, who won the privilege defeating all confenders in the seventh regional tournament at East Central March 2-4 are front row, left to r_ight, Herman Robinson, Jack Smith, Edgar Castle, Bob Lassetter, John Re~ga!l; back row, Coach Vincent, J . P.Hurst, Denver Brackeen, Charlie Thrash, Howard Sessums and Bill Livengood. To National Playoff · pete with 15 otJler team8 for the · national champlomhlp which will be played March :M-28 at Hut- ·

East Central Warriors went all chison. Kansas. '' · ·the way in the basketball arena . In the state tournament· held between February 26 and March 7 March 6"7 In H!Dd., Junior Col– to win the State Championship lege it.vmliastum, East Central and qualify· for competition with and Holmes, the first and aeoond ;the highest ranking tea.ms in the tea.ma of the . Northern . dl'Yl,ton nation in the National Touma- of the state. met the flr3t and ment. · second teams .of .the southern dl– For the first time since 1931, vllllon. Coplah-Uncoln and Jones a team of Ea.st Central cagsters ' Junior O>llege, respecllvel;t. Eaat holds ~e top-ranltlng spot In Central, the No. 1 team .from the Mississippi Junior College basket- Morth, defeated Jones, the No. 2 .ball, having proved their right to team from the South, In the 1!rst ·this eminence In a series of aeries of the tournament with a hard-ifought contests with other score of 93 to 46. while Holmes, crack Mississippi teMns. In the .No. 2 team from the North, de– week preceding the state touma- f~ated Copiah-Lincoln. No. 1 team ment. the Warriors had proved from the .south, 77 to 741 In the themselves the chief contenders semi-finals. . ·for national honors from region On · SeA;urday .evening, .the two seven by defeating three other Northem-dlvlslon winplng teams, strong competitors. having !Proved themaelves the No. The road to victory for the 1 and 2 tea.ms of "the state met In champion began with the North a contest to • decide the state 'Mississippi tournament held a.t cha.mplonahip. In the c~wded Booneville February 25-27 .. In gYninasium the two teams played I which · seven tea.ms competed. Of I a game of speritacUJar basketball ,the teams competing which in- which kept the fans In thrilling !eluded Northeast Junior College, suspense from beginning to end. Nort.hiwesf, Ltawamba, Sunflower, \ wltb East Central .winning 75 to East Misssislppi, Holmes and 85. , _ .. . -·, 1 Ea.st Central, the local team at ~ In the close!y•fouirht cxmtest ithe beginning o!. the tournament . Brackeen 'and Sessums led the i had been ceded the top spot as Warriors· In scoring, as . In most iNo. 1 team in the state on the f; of the ··preV!ous games, with 27 l basis of the season's record, , polnta each. The seortng lead . 1 Holmes ranked second, Noritheast ~ changed at _lea.st .six .times dur– third and East Mississippi, four- 1; Ing the game. the'score being tied ,th. By virtue of being No. 1 tegm ~- on aeveral occa.!ilom, with East' ;the Warriors were"gl¥en a first fe Gentrll.l fOrtl'lll!l' ahead In .the last I round .bye and met Northeast in ~· .flvt minute& of the pme, when 'the second round of games, win- t. :"Yank" L!vengoOd took over with ning 85 to 79 to advance •to the !;; ;his skillful ~Ung to win the finals, where they defeated Hol- game by ..freezing the ba.11. mes, winner of the lower bracket, \l il!lC.TC:----- 80-68 in the championship gam~ 1 of the Northern division. '

In . the tournament to deter– mine the National contenders from Region 7, which was held in the East Central gymnasium March 2-·1, the local quintet de!eated the Scooba team with a score of 85 to 50 on Monday night in the first series of the tourna– ment. On Tuesday evening, they defeated Perkinston Junior Col– ege 87 to 56 to advance to the !me.ls. where they defeated the Northeast team 87 ·to 65 to be– come the winners of !j.egion 7 of the National Junior Colle:;e Basketball Tournament. thus qualifying as the team to