1995

WEEK Or Local 10 lend thei r talents to EC's success on the court By MARTY STAMPER Democrat sports editor

Ten local athletes are members of the basketball teams at East Cen– tral Community College. The Uidv Warriors are off to a HH start and are ranked No. 11 in the NJCAA poll. "I was fairly well pleased with the first half, but I wasn't ecstatic," L1dy Warriors coach Sammy Pace said. "I was pleased with the game at Hinds and here with Pearl River, but I was disappointed with the Co– Lin game. "Our strength is we get up and down the floor and the other folks will gel tired.'· The Warriors are 5-8 with five loss~ coming b) five points or less. Marty Cooper's men were 23-5 a year ago. Pace's Uidv Warnors were 28-7 last season and finished seventh in the ~JCAA national tournament at Tyler. Texas. Monica Davis of Banks. Ark., leads the Uidy Warriors in scoring with a 16.5 average. She has scored in double figures in nine of EC's 11 games and has scored at least 20 points on three occasions. Her top showing was a 28-point effort against Southwest ''She's a very good shooter," Pace said. ''She's kind of a streak player. She's a little lazy and we have to take her out and rest her. but she can be counted on down the strdch When you need a basket or a rebound, she'll usually rise up and giver to YOU." - Davis, who never played on a win– ning team at Hermitage High School, has already signed with Ar– kansas-Monticello. • Brandi Harber of Union averages 9.5 points The sophomore -erse transfer from Livingston \-ersit) racked up 32 points in a \\'Ul m-er Pearl Ri ·. er to close -5emester actic :: Sh~; also - PJlll!S a.gam,L Copt:L'l-Lmcoln son}} loss ber confidence le\oel is ...-epl.a) Pace • J.J Moorehead. also of t:mon, ~~~-'2Qj!!S 6.8 pmnts. Her season high .-as 15 against East ~Mississippi in a ~ win. She scored 12 on two other occasions. "P robably inch for inch, she's the toughest one out there," Pace said of the 5-foot-5 sophomore. • Dane Vance of Philadelphia averages 3.1 points. Her big ni~ht was a nine-point effort against East

Monica Davis (left) of Banks, Ark.. signs a letter-of-intent with Arkansas· Monticello as Lady Warriors coach Sammy Pace looks on. Davis is aver"'" ing 16.5 points for the 10-1 Lady Warriors. EC IS 38-8 during her two ye

''Dane at times plays the best mental game of anyone out there," Pace said. "She's a lot better player than what she's willing to believe." • J enrufer Alexar.der, who played on Leake Academy's 37-1 overall state championship team last year, adds 2.7 ppg. She had 10 points against East J\.fississippi in the 79-67 .,.. in. She's started every game ex– cept one, Pace said. "She made a big adjustment first semester," he added. "She made the realization that there are some things she has to do at the college level that she didn't have to do in high school. Her defense has really improved." • Sara Hollingsworth of Neshoba Cet.'ral is averaging 1.3 points Knawn more for her defense. in her top outing Hollingsworth scored six points man 83-'58 vtctol) at Hinds. The redshirt sophomore ~ ~·s hack pla. m!! bard. Pace said. ··She 1~n l mt1mtdated itke she was her freshman year. She has a much more mature attitude a bout the game. She shows leadership and has solidified the point guard posi– tion. ''She bad to overcome a lot just to be back out there." • Christy Madison of Neshoba Central a\·erages 2~8 points. She had a team-hiM 10 points in a 96-61 win

"Christy is a very good sb, ter and a tireless worker," Pace s td. "She's also a very good student "As she matur~. she will grow as a player and get better. You doo't get all you get from a player on the court. She has such a good at• tude about being part of the team and e.xcellent wort· habit5 • Kim Gent11 of le2ke Aca average.;, 1.9 pomts. Her top perfor mance wa:; an e:~ht-pomt ou against \\allace-Selma m an conquest "I real!) saw her come along a the end of the semest~ Pace saJd of Leake'c: No. 2 all-ume c~¥rri-~ leader. "She doesn t .:::eem t be nervou· a- some freshmen re. "She'• reaTh tarted to

the coll~e game. She a :ereo ...hot to adJtEt to the mcreasec she faces m ~~<;.. ..'She a rea: a "C.~~-4&~~ar~a.ee,_~-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Ph tp Academ} leads e ~ 19.2 sconng a' ~rage Known as the ' Prmce of 3s ing his career at Leake. he has rna 30 3-pointers in the Warrwrs 1 games. Prince has scored in double– figures m 12 games. His season-hig 1 is 32 pomts in a 107-103 loss to Mar: Holmes. He also had 31 in a 102-9 \L.·in nvPr M!lr\J 1-fnlrn.c.c Orii'tl~" "'"'"