1972-1977

ECJC Girls Take North By BILLY TUR-NEE Star Sports Writer Central took the game with a bucket by &, nna Carter with 16

Philadel~hla's Diana Lyor bucketed a shot with 1 :05 left t bring ECJC to within 80-79 tv

SCOOBA - Two shots were heard round the state from the gym at East Mississippi Junior %liege here Tuesday night. The first st sent a hush through the : . wd. The second shot sent hysteria rushing up the spines of all East Central unior College followers as it ave the North Division -.lississippi Junior College w o m e n ' s t i t l e t o t h e Warriorettes. That one little moment will be long remembered as it gave ECJC an 81-80 win over defending s t a t e champion Itawamba in the North finals. Both teams enter the overall state playoffs starting Friday at East Central's campus in Decatur. East Central will face Co-Lin, a 69-63 loser to Southwest Tuesday night in the outh final, with Sopthwest icing Itawamba. The first shot came at the end of the half. Trailing 39-34 with a few seconds left, East Central rebounded a missed Itawamba my and started a fast break. Evelyn Bender, a short Lucy [arris (like Pete Maravich is a hort Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) , mk the outlet pass, strode two leager steps across the time ne, and fired smartly towards 1e basket with but two seconds ?fton the clock. As the buzzer sounded, the all banked off the glass and hot through the hoop. As cokes and popcorn sprinkled across laps in the stands, the exultation turned into astonishment on both East 'entral and Itawamba rooters. The shot only made it a three-point deficit at the half, 39-36, but deep in the minds of the Itawaqba girls, unbeaten in iunior college competition in 1e two years they have had a rogram, the shot had made its ffect. The second shot was the iincher. After proving thls rasn't going to be any hayday )r the Itawamba club, East

seconds left.

East Cent r a1 had taken the set up the final basket. lead in the !% xond half with 16 Jtawamba couldn't freeze the minutes left in the final period ball since the 30-second clock on another g ( >a1by Carter. But a ~ ~ o w s no such foohshness. the Warrior(! ttes never led by ~ ~ a ~ a m b a tried to use as much more than fi re, and after Julie time as allowed, but turned the Latham foul, 2 d out at 3:45, the ball over. Squaws had finally rallied to East Central immediately lead 80-77 wit 1 1 1 : 14 to go. moved to the attack. Bender - - . scooped up the loose ball and began her fast break pattern. She filled the middle lane, with I hopes for one of her jumpers to come from inside 20 feet. Itawamba cut her off about

feet out, so she tossed the ba inside to Lyons. Lyons tried $ get the shot off with 19 secon left, but Itawamba's Nar:. Murphree cut her off. But ... the Tigerettes didr have proper defense on ' I right side. Noone had cut off ?1 charging Carter, and Lycir though slightly off balance . the free pitch line, got the be to her. Carter layed the ball against the glass, and as ticker showed 16, the dropped through. It might have started a revolution war, but it had a few WP hopping. It also took awa championship from I East Central shot B e n d e r n e a r t h e e s e eme d t o awaken t Warriorettes, setting the sta for the later dramatics. Excellent balance, and East Central Coach Luci Wood called "determinatio beat them," turned the g around. Five players turned in figure performances for with Bender getting 24, 20, Carter 14, Jeannette Ba 12 and Latham 11. Murp had 21, Lisa Hooker Charlotte Jackson 14, Jennie Loyd 12 for Itawarn now 19-4. If East Central ( 16-5) can g a few more shots to go with the ones it had Tuesday night, the overall state title might not be as hard to obtain. East Cmtral 1811 Itswpmbs (80 Player fa n Q p ~ e r fK fi Q Bader 12 0 24 Charlotte 7 014 10 0 Bl Loyd 5 212 Lyons Carter 7 0 14 Hooker 7 519 Lalham 5 l 11 Murphree 6 921 Barnes 4 4 12 McFm 1 0 2 Warren 4 0 8 Davls 1 0 2 Sp1ght o o o Totals 38 5 81 Totals 31 H8E cent from the field half, but the last-g