1991

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ECCC head coach Jay Bowen said. " ( Phtladelphia J coach Bobby Richa.rdson did a great job with him there and Mark is just a winner. When the game is on the line, he'll take charge and win the ballgame for you. He's not going to show up m the boxscore a lot , but he can shoot the ball and score and can rebound. But mainly he can play defense. "Last vear be started at our No. 2 guard· and had to guard . He had to guard (Copiah– Lincoln's) Terry Cameron who is now at Southern Mississippi and held him under 10. "It was a great opportunity for us to get Mark out of Philadelphia to East Central. He was one of the key aspects to our success last year in going 21-6. I wouldn' t trade him for anybody. If I had to adopt a son, it would be Mark. And I think Bobby Richardson feels the same way. He's a good player and a good person and a good baseball player also. I think he.'D ru. ''e e~. .,:-- · r f ~ "Vand~ came ma d dJdn't play a QIWG h

By MARTY STAMPER Democrat sports edtlor

2 1 DECATUR - The East Central Community College Warnors are off to a 12-2 start for the 1991-92 basket– ball season with two former Philadelphia 'Ibrnadoes playmg key Mark Stribhng is a 6-foot sophomore guard. while \"andy Hop– son is a &-foot-6 sophomore forward. They've enjoyed a great deal of success during thetr careers. As seniors at Philadelphia. they went 29-7 and finished second m the state in Class 2A after a 60-491oss to South Lealte for the title. The\· defeated Richton 51-50 in the semifmals. Both !wen- named to the 2A all-state team. As freshmen at ECCC, they were part of a 21-6 squad, the first 2o-win seas n for the Warriors since the mid- 960s. Str ibling averaged 7.8 point , 3.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists as he star ted in 15 games. Hopson got only one start and averaged 3.8 points and 2.5 rebounds. "Nobody was really sure on Mark corrung out of high school,' ' former

Mark Stribling

much as Mark last year, but got a lot of good playing experience. He's got long arms and is a good offensive re– bounder and he can shoot it well for as.& guy. ' ll big part in EC's success

said. "Against Gulf Coast (a 75-57 ECCC win over the previously– unbeaten Bulldogs on Dec. 3) Str ib only shot five times and made three. He does what he needs to do. I need– ed him to organize everybody and be a leader and he is definitely our leader on the floor. There's been other games like at Delta when he had 22 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. If you need him to get 25 (points), he'll get it Ifyouneedhim to score five, he'll do that. That's the kind of kid he is. I love him. I'd like to keep him here forever." Stribling had a 24-point, eight– rebound, seven-assist performance in an 82-51 win at Copiah-Lincoln just prior to the Christmas break. "Vandy has been up and down, but in the last three or four weeks he's r eally started to come on," Cooper said. "He's playing with more con– fidence. When he shoots from the outside, and he has 3-point ability, it just opens it up for ('Ibny) Bailey and J.P. (Viverette) inside. He's very valuable and when he can be ag– gressive and rebound, we're very

good," Bailey, a sophomore from Villa Rica, Ga., who has already signed with Murray State, is averaging 22.1 points per game, while Viverette, a sophomore from Sebastopol, has been scoring at an 18.6. ppg clip. Luther Riley of South Leake averages 7.6 ppg. The ECCC men return to action in the Jones Junior College Thurna– m~nt, Jan. 10-11 in Ellisville. r------------,.---. EAST CENTRAL MEN East Mississippi . .'. .. . .. .. .. 92-78 Miss. Delta ...... .. ...... .. .89-67 Clarke .. . .... . ... .. .... . .... 72-82 l tawamba .. .. ..... ........ .. 91-80 East Mississippi . ...... . .. ..95-78 Mary Holmes .. .. .. ...... .. 111·80 Lawson State .............. 106-95 Northeast Miss.............. 96-99 Itawamba . ...... .. .. . .. .....78-74 Gulf Coast ....... . .......... 75-57 Miss. Delta .... . ... .. .. .... 101-59 _ Jones ............ . ..... .... .68-63 Co-Lin ....... . .. . ... .. ......82-51 Holmes . . . . . ........ . .......79-55

Vandy Hopson

XES~ XE

'They're both fine people and c 1 :. R · they'll both graduate." ~. ·· - First-year ECCC coach Marty

C..x>per also sings praises of the two. They're pretty valuable," Cooper