1989

WEEK OF ---~--

ECCC teams have new faces By Marty Stamper Special to The Star The most difficult to replace may be 3-point bomber Pam Green, who hit 67 3s last year. Green is now playing at Mississippi State.

ECCC opened with two victories at the EMCC touurnament last week, blasting Selma, 85-53, and Concordia, 75-25. The ECCC Warriors are even less familiar than the Lady Warriors. The only returnee from last year's 6-17 showing is 6-3 guard Kelvin Young of Philadelphia. Even the coach - former Ole Miss graduate assistant Jay Bowen - and the managers are new with the Warriors. The most touted rookie is &-8 forward/center Michael James. James signed with Ole Miss, but failed to meet NCAA admission standards. "He's going to help us a lot," Bowen said. "He plays good defense and is a good rebounder. His of– fense is coming along. He's improved in every scrimmage." James averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds at Gary (Ind.) High School last season. Mississi.(>Pi all-star Tyrone Stowers (6-5) of Scott Central will also play inside. "He's playing well offensively and his defense is coming around," Bowen said. Also complementing each other inside are 6-6 for– ward/center Mark Gates of Douglasville, Ga., and 6-4 forward Charlie Donnerson of Gosnell, Ark. Bowen calls Gates a good offensive motion player and Donnerson a good defensive player. Eric Mayes (5·10) of Gosnell, Ark., and Lake's Travis Watkins (6-1) are the point guards, while Young, Tyrone Bender (6-3) of Louisville, and Beulah Hubbard's Terry Thames (6-1) are the No.2 guards. Other team members are 6-4 forward Lonnie Anderson of Lake and 6-5 forward Jason Johnson of Louisville. Being competitive and gooa aetense were not always trademarks of the 1988-89 team. It lost seven games by 20 points or more and gave up at least 100 points on seven occasions and at least 90 four other times. ECCC split its two openers, losing to Southern 99-87, before beating COncordia, 96-07.

DECATUR- Familiar faces are few and far bet– ween on the 1989-90 East Central Community Col– lege basketball teams. Sammy Pace's Lady Warriors have four faces associated with last year's 18-8 team that advanced to the Region 23 Final Four. However, two of them belong to Pace and manager Diana Davidson. The only returning players from 1988-89 are 5-foot-10 forwards Umeki Edwards and Sadie Triplett. Edwards 04.4 ppg) is from Jonesboro, La., while Triplett (4.0 ppg) lS from Louisville. There are two more sophomores, though, in 5-11 forward Paula Nash from Carthage and 5-ti guard Victoria Banks from Morton. Nash is a reverse transfer from USM, while Banks played on the 1987-88 ECCC team. The freshman class includes 5-10 guard Carol ~oatman of Carthage, 5-7 guard Jackie Gladney of Louisville, 5·7 guard Marcel Gray of Carthage, 5-ti guard Ashley Harkins of Leake Academy, 5-7 guard Kristy Holland of Jonesboro, La., 6-foot forward Shontel Lowe of Alexandria, La., 5·5 guard Kathy McDougle from Union, 5-10 forward Shea Oakley from Louisville, 5·11 forward Lisa Stephens from Sebastopol, 5-8 guard Tonya Stowers from Scott Central, and 5-9 guard Beverly Ware of Forest. Boatman was a second-team all-state pick and an all-star as a senior, averaging 20.4 points, 13.6 re– bOunds, and nine assists. "We're awfully young and inexperienced," Pace id, hoping the parts of the puzzle fit as well as last year. "I'm worried about inconsistency and fitting together as a team. I'm just not sure about a lot of things. The inexperience is a big worry." Three of his 1988-89 team members si~ed with ivision I schools and another at a Division II school. "Any time you lose than many and that caliber, you're hurting," Pace added. That group made a science out of role-playing. ..

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SCOTT COUNTY TIMES.___ _ UNION APPEAL.____ WINSTON· COUNTY JOURNAL.___ MERIDIAN STAR._____

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