By Staff
From staff reports
Jan. 9, 2002
East Central Community College basketball teams will be gunning for a sweep of Itawamba Community College when 2002 competition gets underway Thursday night on the Fulton campus.
The Lady Warriors, 7-2 overall and 1-0 in South Division action under first-year head coach Brad Hodge, edged the Lady Indians 59-58 in the ECCC Invitational on November 20.
Coach Hodge said the Lady Warriors will have a tough assignment defeating the 6-3 Lady Indians a second time- especially on their own court.
Coach Hodge added he very pleased with his team's performance in 2001.
Sophomore Nikki LaCour of Natchitoches, La., leads the Lady Warrior offensive attack by averaging 17.4 points per game. She tallied a career-high 42 points during an 81-71 thumping of visiting Gulf Coast on November 29.
Other top scorers are sophomore Christina Ford of Enterprise, who is averaging 10.6 points and seven rebounds, and freshman Belinda Potter of Monroe, La. Potter is averaging 10.2 points and six rebounds per contest and has three blocked shots.
The EC women sport the league's top defensive unit, allowing 62.2 points per contest.
East Central's Warriors, 4-5 overall and 0-1 in league play for first-year head mentor Billy Smith, posted a 68-67 cliff-hanger over Itawamba in the same ECCC Tournament. Coach Smith also realizes his team faces an uphill battle against the Indians, who are 7-3 overall under former ECCC head coach Marty Cooper.
Regarding his team's 4-5 record, Smith commented: "Although I am not happy with our won-loss record, I am pleased with the improvements we have made since our first game. Hopefully we can keep getting better as the season continues. We have 13 games remaining and our division schedule resumes next week with Co-Lin."
The Warriors are led at the break by freshman Corey Hornsby of Baton Rouge, La., who is averaging 18.6 points and seven rebounds per contest and has 14 blocked shots. Other top performers are sophomores James Denson of Choctaw Central, who is averaging 13.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game and has 25 assists and seven blocked shots; Winfred Craig of Louisville, with 12.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest and 28 assists; and Markeith Brown of Jackson Provine, who is averaging 10.7 points per game and has 28 assists.
The Lady Warriors and Warriors will again be on the road Monday, January 14 when they take on Copiah-Lincoln Community College in division competition.
EC squads host division foe Southwest Mississippi Community College on Thursday, Jan. 17.
Tip-off times are 6 p.m. (women) and 7:45 p.m. (men).