By By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
Nov. 9, 2001
DECATUR Like the cool air blowing in Thursday night, the Northeast Mississippi Community College Tigers and Lady Tigers invaded Newton County from the north and swept past East Central Community College in basketball action.
Northeast took the women's game 78-59 and the men's contest 96-86. ECCC returns to action Monday at Mississippi Delta.
The defending Region 23 champion Lady Warriors scored the first seven points in their game before Northeast broke the ice four minutes into the contest.
After the Lady Tigers drew even at 7-7, ECCC pulled out to a 28-17 lead on a basket by Belinda Potter off a Nikki LaCour assist and a basket from LaCour with 6:19 to go in the first half.
Northeast closed to within 30-25 only to have the Lady Warriors stretch back out to a 38-27 lead before taking a 38-31 advantage into halftime.
After ties at 45-45 and 47-47, the Lady Warriors took their last lead of the night at 49-47 on a basket from Becky Killen with 10:40 remaining.
Northeast then went on an 8-0 run for a 55-49 lead. After ECCC got a basket from Christina Ford, the Lady Tigers broke the game open with a 12-0 run that put them up 67-51.
Northeast outscored ECCC 47-21 in the second half.
Ford led ECCC, 1-1, with 15 points. LaCour scored 14.
Northeast, 1-2, got 24 points from Susan Spencer, 12 from Latoya Davison, 11 from Priscilla Berry, and 10 from Lisa Moore.
Northeast men 96
East Central 86
Northeast outscored the Warriors 49-41 in the second half to complete the sweep.
The Tigers, 2-1, led 35-22 with 6:35 to go in the first half before ECCC got a pair of 3-pointers from Corey Hornsby to pull to within 44-43 with 32 seconds remaining in the first half.
Northeast carried a 47-45 lead into intermission.
The Warriors tied the game at 47-47 early in the second half on a dunk by Hornsby only to have the Tigers stretch back out to a 64-52 advantage on a 3-pointer from Jarvus Jones with 14:50 to go.
A 3-pointer from Kevin Bobbitt pulled ECCC back to within 74-69 with 7:35 left.
After a breakaway dunk from Qyntel Woods put Northeast up 85-74 with 3:33 to play, the Warriors staged one final comeback bid as they narrowed the gap to 85-79 on a 3-pointer from Bobbitt with 2:06 remaining, but Northeast scored 11 of the game's final 18 points.
Hornsby, a freshman from Baton Rouge, led ECCC, 0-2, with 28 points after connecting on five 3-pointers. Winfred Craig scored 13 points, James Denson had 12, and Bobbitt and Markeith Brown both added eight.
The Warriors held the 6-foot-9 Woods, who came in averaging 35 points and had five NBA scouts watching his debut on Monday, to 16.
The Tigers were led by Jeremy Law's 17 points. Jones scored 15, while Rod Carruth and Taylor Rocker both had 12.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com or phone him at 693-1551, ext 3235.