2005

WEEK OF (( ; / J I

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ECCC falls • • In regton title game By Ryan Sat cher staff writer CLI!\'TON- On Wednesday night, the East Central Community College Lad} Warriors puJit•d of the unbelievable. But on Thursday night, the Lady Warrior~ ran out of luck and, more importantly, they ran out of legs. East Central pushed ~onllwest Com– munity College to the limit but couldn't pull another trick out of its :;kt n : in a 58-55 loss in the championship game of the Region XXIII junior college tournament at A.E. Wood Coliseum. "We gave it all we had." "aid ECCC coach Brad Hodge. ~wt' just didn't have enough in our tank tonight." Coming off a 75-74 overtime win on Wednesday, the Lady Warriors (20-10) op£'ned Thursday night's game cold. and ::\orthwest took advantage with a 15-5 run. The Lady Rangers got seven points from Candy Hall in the run and opened up an 23- 13 lead. East Central fought back as Tierra Young hit a pair of threes and a two to cut the lead to 25-2 I. Kotreece Bender followed with a basket and Kim Cox hit a tl1ree-pointer to give East Central a 2!3-25 lead with 2:06 left in the first half. Northwest followed with a three-pointer but East Central tied the game with a bucket from Shannon Lloyd v.ith five sec– onds left in the half. In the second half. the l.adv Warrior~ took a 40-38 lead as Roxana Rogers hit two three-pointers in the opening ~ix minute..;. Northwest !)tretched out n 52-44 lead with 4:55 left to play wilh a 14-4 run. East Central fought back trong and cut the lead tc, ix points on a bucket from Bender with 3:54 left. Kristin Chaney followed with a clutch

PHOTO BY PAULA MERRITI /THE MERIDIAN STAR

TAKE AWAY East Central Community College's Kristin Chaney steals the ball away from Northwest Community College·s Sharlene Murphy dunng the championship game of the Region XXIII tournament at Mississ1pp1 College in Clinton on Thursday. three-pointer I<> make the score 54-51 with 2:49 left. Laketia Stephens hit a free throw to make the score SH-53 with 17 seconds left.

After Northwest hit a free throw. Young hit a pair of free throw~ to cut the lead to two points. 1\orthwesl ran the dock down to 38 ..;econds before forcing up a long thret·– pointer but Hall came away with the rebound and East Central was forced to foul. ~ikita Taylor ~tcppcd to the line with 29 -.econd~ left and made two free throws to make the score 57-53. After a mi:.sed shot by East Gentral.

The Ladv Warriors answered with a three-pointer from Young to make the score 58-55 and got the ball back with a jump ball with six seconds remaining. East Central got off a three-pointer in the final <.;econds but this time the ball rolled awav and Northwest held on for the 5~55 \\;n. · MWe have notning to be ashamed of," Hodge said Young scored 16 points lo lead the Lady Warriors while Bender scored 12. CARTHAGINIAN - ----- - NESHOBA DEMOCRAT _ _ _ _ NEWTON RECORD ______ _ _ MERIDIAN STAR~-----­ CLARION-LEDGER-------

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