1991

•Quartet scored 2,824 points and won 80 games at NCHS By MARTY STAMPER Democrat sports editor East Central Community College is like a home away from home for many folks . For four former Nesboba Central girls. tt"s like tur– ning back the hands of time Former Lady Rockets Brooke E isty Wright, Nicole Flint, y Apperson are all getting a I of playing time for coach Pace's 5-7 Lady Warriors ....ball team. ld aeniors at NCHS in 1990, the ._.played major roles on a Lady ..,._ team that went 36-3 and """"*d second in the state in Class 4A after a 6tH)4 overtime loss to Saalll Pike for the state champion– ship. Neshoba beat Jackson WIMfleld 66-54 in the semifinals. ·Mjuniors in 1989, the four helped &! lth's Neshoba team to a 29-9 losing 53-52 to North Natchez kfirst round of the state tour– nament. That was Neshoba's first trip to the state tourney since 1980. Their three-year record as Lady Rockets was 80-27. Smith finished with 1,006 points, while Wright had 736, Flint 706, and Apperson 376. After a year of two girls playing and two not, the four are reunited once again. "It's almost like home," Apperson said of ECCC. "The others that are not from Neshoba Central we played against, so we knew them real well. It wasn't a ny big change." Despite the fact that all four are sophomores, Smith and Wright played on last year's ECCC team, while Flint and Apperson did not. As a freshman, Smith, a 5-foot-10 forward, had a 21-point night agahlSt Mississippi Delta as a high point. This season, she's averaging 9.8 points. She set a career-high with a 28-point effort in a 92-79 win over Mississippi Delta on Nov. 21. In the games in which Smith has scored in CARTHAGI!\IAN MORTON TRIBU....,.N.,....E-- NESHOBA DEMOCRAT NEWTON RECORD CLARION-LEDGER - ---

Apperson is averaging 1.8 points while sharing time at point guard with Union's Apryl Hendon (3.9 ppg>. While some things are about the same as in their high school days, some a re different. "It's a lot more physical than high school, that's what I like about it," Apperson. "We have a good team spirit and play toge ther good." And Pace is pleased with the four. " I think they're beginning to get more consistent and accustomed to the rougher style of play," Pace said. "~hey're beginning to realize the role they have,to play a nd they're filling it." Shellie Griffin of Union leads the team in scoring with a 12.0 average, but missed the last two games with an ankle injury. Gloria Clay of Louisville is next at 10.8 followed by Union's Tamella Mazingo a t 10.3 points. EAST CENTRAL WOMEN East Mississippi ... 65-89 Miss. Delta ....... ........68-82 Itawamba .. .. ...............82-72 Clarke . . . ..... .~ East Mississippi 56-v4 Mary Holmes . . .. 78-62 Lawson State . . . . . 85-5- Miss. Delta . . .. • . .. . 92-79 Gulf Coast .. .. . .. . .. .. .. 74-65 Jones 71-73 Co-Lin . 76-97 Holmes 58-79

double figures this season, ECCC is 3-0. " I've just got a Jot more con– fidence in myself than I did last year," Smith said. "And the hometown help helps out a lot. I 've enjoyed it a lot more this year than I did last year It's been a lot more fun to play. We're playing as a team. Everybody plays and contributes to every game. "I've been trying to get everything loa T so if I don't do good on one I can fall back on the other" Wright. a 6-foot center. ts averag– mg 8.3 points. In the last eight games, however, she's averaged 10.9 ppg \.,..ith a 16-point outing against the unbeaten and nationally-ranked Holmes Lady Bulldogs on Dec. 14. " I think us playing together all through high schnol helps out a Jot because we know what each other is going to do," Wright said. " I think we're improving every game. We have a lot of depth. If one person can't do it, then somebody can come in and do it." Flint, a 5-foot-9 forward, attended ECCC as a freshman, but did not play basketball. She's averaging 7.9 points with a game-high of 16 against Clarke College on Nov. 9 " I just got to really missing play– ing with all my friends," Flint said. " I got tired of jus t laying around and doing nothing. I s till bad a lot of competitiveness left in me. I figured this would be my las t chance, so I just want to make the most of it " Not that Flint was doing absolute– ly nothing. In her three semesters, she's had all A's e.xcept for one B. She's majoring in pre-dentistr) After a one-year layoff. 1t took a little while to get lhe rust oft "The first couple games I was really getting down on myself because I was slO\~ , Flint sa1d. "Once I got in the l!roo\'e tt was a Jot easier" Apperson. a 5--foot-3 point guard, attended :\leridian Community Col– lege as a freshman, but did not play basketbaH " I was \~ >rktng and coach Pace called me: Ap ~ n.(Jfll~ r, turn to the 11 r'th~ood ~~~ '1 • I wouldn ffTa e fO'l'-:a ill ' o noo n

Brooke Smith

APPEARED IN:

SCOTT COUNTY TI~ES Ut\ION APPEAL WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL MERIDIAN STAR

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