1982-1986

The the momentum turned for the visiting Wolves. ECJC pressured Co-Lin into a turnover, and Arness Georgetown dribbled downcourt for the go-ahead bucket. But Georgetown's finger-roll layup missed, and Co-Lin quickly turn– ed it into a dunk and free throw by All-American forward Johnny Steptoe. The Wolves were never behind again. "That was the difference " said Gressett. "Then we h~d another turnover and they scored. They got five points (ac– tually four) and we didn't get anything. '' "It's a good example of how momentum changes," added Jones. "He makes the layup and we're in a bind." Co-Lin didn't make another basket after Steptoe's dunk, but sank 12 of 18 free throws to ex– tend the lead to the final 11-point margin. ECJC scored just three points in the final two minutes. For the game Co-Lin outscored ECJC 31-6 from the free throw line. The Warriors were called for 30 fouls -- with four players fouling out -- to Co-Lin's 12. "The free throws were the d1tterence in the game, " said Jones. Three ECJC players scored in double figures , led by Anderson's 17. Drummond added 15 point~ and Georgetown 13. "I was proud of the guys," said Gressett. Co-Lin's inside duo of Steptoe and Thomas Matthews combined for 49 points -- Steptoe had 25, Matthews 24, including seven free throws in the final run. Frank Chatman added 11 points, with four free throws in the final minutes.

East Central saw chance slide away By Greg Mcllvain The Meridian Star DECATUR - The East Cen– tral Junior College Warriors felt the swings of momentum here Monday night. The Warriors fought back from an 18-point deficit to within just inches of the lead, then watched as Copiah-Lincoln Junior College pulled away to an 85-74 Mississip– pi Junior College Association Southern Division victory. The Warriors, now 5-14, came within four minutes of upsetting the Wolves, now 16-3 and among the Southern Division leaders . Co-Lin had blown the game open midway through the con– test. The Wolves stretched a two– point lead, 31-29 with 6:34 left, to 12 points, 45-33 with 1: 37 remain– ing before halftime, then to 18 points, 61-43 with 12 :39 left. Then ECJC made its com– eback. "We went to the man-to– man," said Warrior coach Larry Gressett. "They were killing us in the zone. We weren't stopping the pass inside. " (Going to the man) was the difference in the game. We were intense, and got the crowd in the game." "They adjusted to what we were doing," said Co-Lin coach Mike Jones. "Our defense hurt them in the first half and the first part of the second half. Then I thought we just quit, just quit playing." The Warriors scored 10 straight points to trim the lead to eight, 61-53 with 9:15 left. Co-Lin built the lead back to 10 points, then East Central scored 10 more unanswered points -- the last six on three-point plays by Gary Anderson and Byrne Drummond . -- to tie the game at 69-69 with 4:53 left.

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