1972-1977

MJC: Wins, - y BOBWAGNER ,sst. Sports Editor coach referred to came near the end of the first half.

by Diego Melendez, a lbfooter by Sid Williams and a pair of r ebound i ng b a s k e t s by Williams. Interspersed with Williams' quick six were three freethrows and a basket by MJC, but Williams took his own rebound and dropped it in from short distance at the buzzer for a halftime margin of 41-32, in MJC's fzvor. THROUGHOUT THE FIRST 6:23 of the second half, the teams traded baskets in twos and threes, with Scott driving for baskets, and gaining the largest lead of the night with a pair of free shots at 13:37. That gave the Eagles 51-37, the first of three 14-pointleads. However, East Central's Joe Peavey came alive about that time, reeling off six quick points from various distances. Three long jumpers by Carson Cole, who finished with 10 points, and a freethrow by Elmer Kennedy kept the Warriors at bay. Kennedy snapped in 17 points before leaving late in the game with a sprained ankle. With 8:26 left, Scott came inside, where he may have to stay to beef up the MJC short game, and tipped in somebaly else's mistake to give the Eagles another 14point lead, at 60-46. There were 8:26 left, and a couple more baskets might have put the thing away. JOE CLARK'S WARRIORS wouldn't hear of it though, ancl Redgate praised them for it. "I have to give Joe's boys credit, " Redgate confided. "They didn't gve up." Redgate said the way his team kept opening a lead the ECJC h y s , "should have quit, but they didn't. They deserve credit for that." Some of that credit should go to Walter Porter, who got four of his six points to pull East Central to a 60-52deficit at 7 2 . Also Hal Presley deserves some distinction. He ripped off nine of his 13 points after MJC hit 60, as East Central staged a valiant, but fruitless attempt at a comeback

With 4:47 left in the opening period, Scott stepped to the line for a one-and-one, the Eagles leading 34-24, having pulled away from a slim 26-24 lead. Scott hit both ends of the bonus, and ECJC was in danger of falling deep into a hole. Redgate had an explanation. "If we keep missing shots from here to the wall," he advised, sweeping his arm across the short distance, "we're going to be in a lot of trouble." After Scott hit his free shots, two of a perfect 13-for-13 night for him from the line, East Central drove back on a layup - - -

Larry Scott can handle guard, but he may have to be moved back to forward ,for the Meridian Junior College basketball team. "We stank," said MJC Coach Jim Redgate after Scott had led the Eagles past East Central 78-69 in the opening round of the Meridian Junior College I n v i t a t i o n a l T i p - O f f Tournament. "We had a couple chances to put it away," Redgate said postgame in the confined surroundings of his dressing room office. One of thos :names the - - -