By By Marty Stamper/staff writer
Jan. 13, 2002
For 57 days, the sixth-ranked Meridian Community College Lady Eagles' perfect season was in limbo.
MCC trailed Shelton State Community College 86-83 with 44 seconds left in a game that was suspended on Nov. 15 at Tuscaloosa, Ala., when the aunt of Shelton freshman forward LaTiffany Burton died in the stands.
When the contest resumed Saturday night at MCC prior to the regularly-scheduled game, the Lady Eagles forced overtime at 88-88, then went on to claim a 101-93 victory to improve to 15-0.
The Lady Eagles got to within 86-85 on a basket by Genice Terry with 35.6 seconds left.
After Shelton's Kanetra Owens made a pair of free throws one second later, MCC drew even at 88-88 on a 3-pointer from Tijwana Collins.
Shelton's Latonya Henry missed a shot for the win with two seconds left with the Lady Eagles grabbing the rebound as time ran out.
The game's unique situation was an attention getter in a year of mostly lopsided wins for the MCC women.
Collins put MCC up 90-88 just over a minute into the overtime on a basket off a steal by Monique Horner.
Ericka Starks put the Lady Eagles up by four on a basket at the 3:14 mark.
Henry buried a trey for Shelton with three minutes remaining for the Lady Bucs' last serious threat.
The Lady Eagles then went 9-of-10 at the free-throw line to build a 101-91 advantage.
MCC got 26 points from Cantea Brown, 21 from Horner, 18 from Collins, nine from Felicia Washington, and eight apiece from Starks and Eva Lockhart.
Shelton, 7-5, got 22 points from Constance Kelly, 21 from Henry, 17 from Marquitta Hillman, and 11 from Burton.