2003

By Jeff Byrd Sports Journal Plus

Former Mississippi State head men's basketball coach Richard Williams is proving to be a vital sounding hoard for the Meridian Community College basketball team. And sometimes the advice isn't pretty, says MCC head coach George Brooks who played for Williams at State. "We talk about basketball at least once, a lot oftimeo;;, twice a week," Brooks said. "He came up from Bay St. Louis last Thursday to see us play Pearl River (at. Poplarville). Coach Williams is always pretty upfront about what he sees about my coaching and my team. especially if its :;omething he doesn't like." The pupil and mentor were on the phone Friday morning reassessing MCC's 81-74 win at Pearl River which puts them back into the i\IACJC' South Division race with a 3-3 record. 'Did you think I handled my timeouts right?," was one ofthe que.;tions Brooks a,.,ked of William'. Ho" did \OU think that guv plaJecf? - ug m:. nd t en add d another on ~nturda) beatmg MaT) H m At th tart oflast "eek, MCC wa" thr me, under 500. •ow their 8-8 and 3-3m the south division. thiA ha.:i. .co r t ft.,. r I them co\\ ard:s following the game with East Central," Brook, <:aid "We're DO\\ back m the hunt. 'What I really like .,_ that th are demanding the be<:t out of each t e "The other night agamst Gul get them down and they go abe d them down further," he ,.,md Another key is the impro'ed p ' n the middle by Eagle post pla~er Kenn} B )d of Kemper County. "Kenny played one ofh1 beA games at Pearl River. He rebounded and he competed hard down the stretch in that game and that was a big reason why v; e won. "Before, he wasn't much of a difference and the lane became prert) conge.-oted tn there." The MCC Lady Eagles. however. are struggling. They lost a second straight home game with the Jan. 2llo~ ... to Gulf Coast 106-89. The~ then fell to 2-4 m S~uth Division pla:- tth a 102-53 l - to Pearl River. The club p )ed r Monique Homer injury. Mond Lndv Ea 56 • p

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whipped Coahoma 89-48. The wins moves t he Lady Lions to 3-3 in the North Division and 8- 11 overall. "Had we beaten Northwest like we should, we'd be tied for firs t place," said EMCC women's head coach Dale Peay. "It's just going to be a six-team scramble to the end. A lot of people are bunched together at 3-3 or 4-2 and it's going to be a mad race." Yolanda Thomas had a double– double at Coahoma with 12 points and 14 rebounds.

• o es Coun o Co ege s T "'"10 y Broom e d grabs a rebound aga nst ~ nds earter ear. The 3obcats a e ~0-6 (before Monday n g!lt s game). East Central The East Central Warriors continue to progress upward to the front of the South Division standings. The Warriors defended homecourt by beating Jones CC last Thursday night in Decatur. The win moved the Warriors to 4-2 in the S uth Division. But on Monday night. ECCC dropped a tough-one point decisiOn to Gulf C ast 78-77. That loss drops the club back to 4-3 m the South DivJston. - Jeff Byrd East Mississ ippi Th E -· • !.-:,,:;sippi Lady Lions are • er team on the mo,·e. The EMCC ....-~men beat Holmes Communhy College 'T'hn... ....t.. y mght .., ScL 1ba and then

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what happened Monday n ight when -----– Pearl River Community College battled archrival J ones in a key South Division clash at Ellisville. Yandell Brown missed a pair of charities with 10.2 seconds to play and the Wtldcats clinging t.o a 75-74 lead. But the Wildcats grabbed the long rebound after the second miss and got the ball to J;,:...,~ Miller \.._ -· -- .... - --...-....-•.&lool"! ,,,_ ,.~ :::ao=

• o.c So.. ±;.r;es:. iS-61, and to ~~ "e:::mal, 62-60. That knocked -....e :SCX:ats oo: of the ranks of the ~~u:n m clle South Division and o;o a i"ou-wav tie for first place. ~a6 Sandra Sumrall's Lady 5o.xa-.s lost a heartbreaking, over– m=o: d.easton to Southwest, 75-69 t::. c-e..-nme, and fell to East Cen– :::-al - s-65 Toe women's team is 3-