1972-1977

Real McCov

East Central JC transfer walks in to Eagles' nest

HATTIESBURG - The Universi- y of SouthernMississi~pi has found he real McCoy for its women's bas- ketball team. A sophomore transfer from East !entral Junior College, Pam McCoy ecame eligible to play for the ,ady Golden Eagles three weeks nd five games ago. In those contests she scored 12 oints in five minutes against Delta tate on a hurt ankle, 21 points ach against Ole Miss and Missis- lppi College, 15 versus Jackson tate and 18 in Monday night's 65- 4 win over the University of Ala- ama-Birmingham.

Beth Wickenberg ' Clarion-Ledger staff writer pect a 21-point person in those two games. "In the first game she played, she scored 12 points in five minutes on a hurt ankle. I felt so stupid. I should have run her in before." McCoy was scheduled to transfer to Southern in September which would have made her eligible for the whole year under AIAW rules. But, she found that she was preg- nant and her son, Seth, was born Sept. 1. She spent first semester tending the child and working out on her own to get back in shape, be- fore finally enrolling secol

came as a

The

leasant surprise to Coach Kay ames. "We knew she'd be good," ames admitted, "but we didn't ex-

See McCoy, Page 2C %Coy walks on in to

tice during first semester and likt what she saw. Now, it's mostly a matter te m. of settling in with a new "I like all of them," McCoy said, shyly. "The only one I knew before was Diana, and she made it a lot

Contlnned From Page 1C "Even when I was pregnant I would go out in the backyard and shoot. I wouldn't jump or anything, but I walked all the time to stay in shape," McCoy said. 'Then after be baby was born, I gradually ran )n my own before I got back to practice." "We didn't use her until January to get her into the offense," said James. "It would have been illegal under AIAW rules!' Now she has a very desirable "big lady offense" for her team which is 9-7 overall and 3-4 in state play. Said James, "We used to play three small guards alrd two big peo- ple. Now we can play three big people." McCoy joins &foot forward Nan- cy Jo Faulk, the team's leading scorer and 6-1 center Diana Lyons, a former high school teammate, as the third "big lady." "To tell you the truth," Coach James said in retrospect, "I don't think I looked at Pam McCoy twice until January." Now, everyone's looking at the tall young lady with the brown hair streaming down her back. McCoy had been a prep star at =.-I.-%. n..-A-..i .,.A ..le.,.d ha.

'I don't think I looked at Pam Mc- Coy twice until

ktp

January.'

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Kay Jam& better. I'm real comfortable now." Coach James also sees progress. "Pam's improved a lot in thra yar at ,, weeks," she 616 Y8be3svery coach*

able and has a good attitude. She has been beneficial to us on defenst Offensively, she has helped us qui a bit. "Lately, I can tell she feels mo comfortable kidding around wi M a y has also had to adjust tc MW Wim and a new school. But t..= elementary educationmajor doesn't find Southern much harder than ju- "I have no more than three a day, and they,re all in the morning. 'hen 1have ~ractice,"she - said. 'l'm not as free as I was in ju- nior college. Then, I didn't have Seth to tend to." But all these extra elements don't seem to have affected her play. She smiled. "I'm real proud of myself, doing so well here. It's a surprise to md Ls to be the other girk." *or college,

Cooeh Ludlle Woods, whare she averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds per game. She earned All-State and was honorable mention for Region When she got married, McCoy wanted to continue her education and "had to go where mY husband wanted to,"* she said. l'he couple wound up in Hattiesburg. McCoy also wanted -to continue her basketball career. Lyons men- boned to James that her friend wanted to play and the coach VII last season.

~ c ~ o ~ m e to the team a p

walk-on.

"Coach James had seen me play before when she was scouting other The 20-year-old came to see the 0nlAo.r Fi..nalw nlav and 1 -A" people," said McCoy.

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