1991

No. 1Holmes wome escape By Lee Baker Clerlon·Ledger StaHWriter

during the season." said Aldy, ''but it didn't take long to know we had trouble matching up with all their big people. "Why, they even have a 5-foot-10 player (Paula Nash) bringing the ball up the floor." East Central. despite ragged 37.1 percent shooting, led 31-27 at half– time before falling behind through the early stages ofthe second half. • Finally a rush pulled the Lady Warriors even at 53-all and after two more ties, they went up 62-55 and Aldy called for time with 4 minutes, 34 seconds left.. The Lady Bulldogs still trailed 66-62 with under two minutes to go before their press s hook EC for turnovers enough to bring a 66-66 tie at 1:33 on Sonya Holmes' two free throw:;. The lead went back and forth un– til Retha Greer's jumper put Holmes up 71-70 with nomore scor– ing the closing fi3 seconds. Holmes, 20-10, had KimWingard with 31 points and Greer with 24. East Central, 13-9, had Carolyn Boatman and Nal'lh with 20 each arid h~l Lo e · ·tUl 151 erJdi•n 78, teortheaeltAS7: nl 10V"O !11 8

Northeast fell behind 38-26 by half· time, then matched Meridian scor ing the second half, uut never coulci catch the Lady Tigers. "We needed a lot of confidence. but they intimidatt>d us -just so much taHer,'' said Northeast coach Ricky Ford, who rates ~teridian a~ possessing as good or better chance ofwinning the tourney as anyone. Meridian, 20-9, had Debra Wells with 19. Natasha Johnson with 17. Rancee Pringle with 15 and Tiberia Riley with 11. Northeast, 16-9, had Odessa Wallace with 18, Ann Prather with 15 and Regina Chills with 11.

CLINTO~ - Honnie Aldv was not iiure what to expect from. East Central. so there was no great sur– prise ~Iondav. The Holmes Community College coach. fresh from his Lady Bulldogs winning their first state basketball championship in 50 years, did fig– ure trouble awaited in the Region 23 junior college championships. Which certainly was right on tar– t as East Central pushed to the fi– nal buzzer before top-seeded Holmes slipped out with a 71-70 wiD. Northeast Mississippi's LaclyTi– Rers were betler prepared for what awaited after two losses earlier to Meridian. Thus it was no great "hock in their season ending with a third licking from the Lady Ea~les i9-tl7. East Central's Lady Warrior:;, idle since tailing in the tirst round of the South Division tournament two weeks ago to host Pearl River by the same 71-70 margin mustered bv Hoirnes. came ever so clo:;e to an up. set. "I hadn't even seen East Central

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SCOTT COUNTY TIMES______ UN I ON APPEAL WI NSTON COUN.,..TYr.""~ - J....,.O'"""'U=RNAL___ MERIDIAN STAR

CARTHAG I NIAN MORTON TRIBU ... N..,...E-- NESHOBA DEMOCRAT NEWTON RECORD CLARION- LEDGER

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