2004

~ ECCC wins in Region·23 Tourney By Marty Stamper EMG sports assistant ( 1 I~TON - lf defense wins championships, the I- 1st Central Community College Lady Warriors may do some more celebrating this week. The Lady Warriors trimmed In winning the MACJC State Tournament last week at Booneville, ECCC outscore-d its three oppo– nents 72.3 to 61.7. The Lady Warriors held the Lady Trojans nearly n ine points under that average Monday with only a 7..{) Delta run to end the game making matters that close. Bender canned a trey and Lenore Gray scored in OlC Jane to up ECCC's lead to 43-29 with -17::~8 remaining.

Delta again got to within nine points on a 3- pointer from Camille Norwood with 15:13 to go, but the Lady Warriors kept the Lady Trojans off the scoreboard (or the next four minutes and six sec– onds as they upped their lead to 53-36. Delta could get no closer lhan 11 points after that. "We kinda divert from our game plan at times," ECCC head coach Brad Hodge sald. "Once we got a little cushion, we felt like we were going to try to get that knockout punch. "Everybody was wanting to get the home run rather than just get a few singles and doubles alonJ! the way. A lot of that had to do wilh the job coad1

Offensively, ECCC used a 21-7 run midway through the first half to turn a 10-9 deficit into a 30- 17lead with five minutes remaining in the first half. Kimyatta Viverette and Kotreece Bender converted back-to-back three-point plays early in the run as the Lady Warriors began to distance themselves from Delta. Before the run ended, Rita Birden hit two baskets and a pair of fr~e throws, India Backstrom scored twice from close range, and Kristin Chaney buried a 3-pointer. ECCC led by as many as 14 points before.: taking a 38-27 lead into the break Delta got the first basket of the second half, but

the number of wins they need to qualify for the national tourna– ment to two with a 66-53 victory over Mississippi Delta in the first round of the Region 23 Tourna– ment Monday night at Mississippi College.

The dream game many have looked forward to all ~t.:ason will take place Wednesday at 2:15p.m. when JoCCC, nmked 17th nationally, takes on sixth-ranked Northe'lst Mississippi in the AE. Wood Coliseum. Nnrtlwast, 20-3, snapped a two-game losing llc ·t•k with a 9C)..87 win over Gulf Coast on Monday.

See ECCC Page 84

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Gray, 11 from Chaney, ui1w each from Viverette, Bender, and Birden, and seven from Backstrom. Nine Lady War– riors scort•d. Viverette also had sLx rebounds and three blot:ks. Gray had nint rebounds and Birden had sewn. Delta, Hi-10, got 1-1 points from Lawanda Stewart. eight eat:h from Vancherrika Mitchell and La'Tisha Rrown, and seven from Jm:miue Cain. WNincsday's 11i her s<·milinal will haw Northwest Missis sippi, 18-7, taking on the winner ofthe Copiah•lincoln/1>l'lgado game at 12::m p.m. Northwest eliminated Jom.~s. 69-60.

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(Rurnadt'lte) McDonald did. She would make a change or at tack us in a weaknt·ss and that's a C(t~dit to thc job she d Ol's I •• 'I ~We'll talk it. We were very (ortuuate tokomc out of it. A win is a win and thai means you g(.!t to advance. Otherwise, you'rt• laking inventory." ECCC look its biggest!lt·ad at 66-46 on a baskd by Vivt rdtc. Delta :;cored sewn unanswered points in the final 1:11 ECCC.. got 13 point:-. from

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