2003

Pearl River, ECCC State Bound Copiah-Lincoln hosts t\\1'0 eight-team tourneys this wee]

Coach Billy Smith's East Central men's t~am clinched a berth in the State Tournament Wltb an exciting 90-85 victory at Jones last Monday. "We were both tied for second place in the South , so this was very big game for us and them," said Smith. "With the win that guaran– teed us a spot in the State Tournament. We played real hard and r eal smart, probably the best all-around game we've had all year." Corey Hornsby paced the Warriors with 33 points. Last Thursday, the Warriors concluded r eg– ular season play with an 84-68 loss at Gulf Coast. East Central was 14-10 entering t he State Tournament. The Lady Warriors qualified for t he State Tournament with a thrilling, 77-76, win at Gulf Coast. That gave Coach Brad Hodge's team a 15- 0 overall mark, 9-5 division record entering the State Tournament this week. Pearl River head coach Richard Mathis, who has won two men's s tate championships in hie: "'like our chances: he said. •If we go ~n there and play with intensity and tne.-gy, I.beh~ve we can string three v;in together a:.d wm thts thing. d th · t Everybody on our team ha5 to o etr par ' though." Pearl River v.·a- 21-4 ente~ :be tourna- me~nboihore ~Yandell 'B:1r-11 of E~stman, G., ~ the the \\ a~ averagmg 25 - • "s our most " Ut. 25 should be 13 years at Pearl Rh·~r. ::a~-~ he feels good about his team's cbance.s gom!'!: m . .

8 ) S ha ;:,ports J

Wansley

mal Plu, E t Central Community College and Pearl River Community CoiJege turned out to be the top JUDI or oollege basketball teams in the Sports Journal Plus circulation area. The PRCC men captured the South Division with an 11-3 mark, while the Lady Wildcats were 9-5 and tied the Lady Warriors for second place in the division. In addition the ECCC men finished in a three-way tie for se~ond in the South, along with Gulf Coast and Southwest. All four teams qualified for the Overall State Tournament, which is taking place this we~k at South Division Women's champion Co-Lin. Also, most of the same teams that qualified for the State Tournament this week will compete in the Region 23 Tournament next week March 3-6, at the A.E. Wood Coliseum on the c~mpus of Mississippi College. The basketba ll seasons were not as good at the other schools in the SJP area. Both the men and women's teams from Meridian Community College, East ~ississippi C~mmunity College and Jones Junior College failed to fini sh in the top four in their respective divisions and failed to make postseason play. The J~~e~' men's team started the year 4-0 in South Division play, but lost seven of their last 10 games. The Bobcats ended the season at 13- 11, 7-7. The Lady Bobcats ended the year at 4- 20, 2-12. . T~e Meridian CC Lady Eagles were 4-10 in dJYISJOn play, while the men's team fini~hed at 5- 9. The EM

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pt~hlp ~quad and have plenty of size and ~booting ;alent.

Third-year bead coach Ed \\alley guida- hi:: Ladv Wildcats, 19-6. mto the pc~; season for the third stt;aight season Headhrung me ~Guad i:: sophomore guard Audosha Kelley ofSs• annah. Ga., who averages 24 points a game "Audosha plays her heart out every ri.!r.e she ___

goes on the court," Walley said. ·-------- "She's as consistent of a player as anybody in ---

SCOTT COUNTY TIMES

UNION APPEAL------------ WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL._____ SPIRIT OF MORTON_______

our league, but we've got to get help from our other starters and our bench people if we're going to have a shot at winning this thing."

CLARION-LEDGER______ _

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