1991

I -

\~EEK OF

Jucos open north, south tournies ByMARTY STAMPER Star sports writer The Mississippt Junior College North and South State tourna– ments open today with Moorhead and Poplarville serving as the host sites. East Central's Warnors enter the South Division Tournament as the No.2 seed with a 20-4 recor~. It's the first time an ECCC men s basketball team has won 20 games in a season since 1962. . The warriors open wtth the host Wildcats of Pearl River t (12-12) tonight at8. ECCC swept the!WO previous meetings by mar– -gin of 21 and 12 pomts. ..l thmk openmg up w1th Pearl Rtver at Pearl River will be a tough chore," ECCC coach Jay Sowen said. "It's hard to beat a team three times, much less two , times m their own gym. These days . the home court gi~es you such a big advantage. We 11 have to play well to beat them. "We'11 have to play better than we've played the last t~o weeks, ever since we beat Co-Lin (115-92 at Wesson on Feb. 4). . Pearl River had two of 1ts top players suspended when the ~~s last met Their status for tomght ts uncertain.

l- :_

11

back. other Lt>pmcJc.i Boweo referred to are Katie Herrington's 20-{J Lady the tate and RegiOn 2.1 events in the Bobcats of Jones set a school record following two weeks. for wins in Thursday's 60-57 victory East Mississippi's Lions finished over Pearl River. The second-seeded last in the North Division during the Lady Bobcats open with 3-20 Gulf regular season and must win two Coast tonight at 6. JCJC swept the games in the North Division tourney two previous meetings, 80-66 and to continue their season. The 9-15 84-69. Gulf Coast routed Pensacola Lions open with 16-10 Itawamba to– (FJa.), 96-65, Wednesday. day at 4 p.m. Itawamba took 85-77 YIV"The third-seeded Jones Bobcats and 93-82 reguJar-season wins. (18-8) face 6-17 Copiah-Lincoln at4 The 13-13 Lady Lions of EMCC p.m. today in frrst-round action. are seeded fifth and must also win kmt& won the previous meetings by twice to extend their season. They seorcs of 87-75 and 86-84. take on the 11-12 host Lady Trojans Other South Division ftrst-round of Delta Tuesday at 8 p.m. Delta won ifctloo has the 15-9 Hinds women by 66-58 and 85-84 margins in the taking on 4-17 Southwest Tuesday at regular season. ~p.m. and the men of Hinds (11-13) In other North Division ftrst-round and Southwest (15-10) playing Tues- men's games, Holmes (13-12) and day :at 6. Delta (7-16) meet at 8 tonight, while The 20-3 Co-Lin women and the Coahoma (17-7) and Northwest ~4-3 Gulf Coast men have frrst-round b.yes. (12-12) play at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Top- "I think Gulf Coast is the best team ~ceded Northeast (20-4) has a bye in the state," Bowen added. "It will mto Wednesday 's semifinals. be hard for anyone in the state to beat The· North women's bracket has them in any of the three tournaments Coahoma (17 -8) and Northwest upcoming." (6-17) squaring off at 6 tonight and Northeast (13-7) and Itawamba ECCC is the only Mississippi tearrt (14-I5) playing at 4 p.m. Tuesday. to beat Gulf Coast lbJ season. The lOp-scClled Ladv Bulldogs of tllo 1 oa 3 • e,~ 1

The 13-7 Lady Warriors of ECCC come in seeded fourth and face the fifth-seeded host ~ady Wildcats (16-7) of Pearl Rtver Tuesday at 8 p.m. They split ~e two regular-season games, wtth PRCC taking a 81-77 win in Dcc~tur and ECCC winning 88-69 m Poplarville. The Lady W arriors bring a three-game win streak into the tourney af ter appearing on the verge of collapse a few weeks SMJUCOS 18

Holmes (16-9) also have a first-round bye. Semifinals in both tournaments are set for Wednesday with the finals planned for Thursday night.

SCOTT COUNTY T 1MES___ Ul"\10~ APPEAL_~~ \\1 ~STO:\ COU~TY JOUR~ .\L____ ~IERI DlAl\ STAR____

CLARlO:\ - LEDGl:R____