By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
Nov. 10, 2002
DECATUR – East Central Community College took a pair of non-division basketball wins from East Mississippi Community College Saturday afternoon. The Warriors and Lady Warriors both improved to 2-2. EMCC's Lady Lions fell to 1-2, while the Lions dropped to 0-3.
ECCC women 63
EMCC 54
Scoring droughts hurt both teams in the women's contest, but the Lady Warriors got their game back on track in time to take the nine-point win.
ECCC carried a slim 27-26 lead into halftime behind nine points from Lenore Gray and six from Miranda Rosar and led 37-30 with 14:58 remaining after a 3-pointer by Kimyatta Viverette.
The Lady Warriors then went scoreless for the next four minutes and 27 seconds as EMCC used a 10-0 run to go up 40-37 on a layup by Darnika Washington with 11:50 left.
The Lady Lions made only 1-of-4 free throws over the next three minutes as ECCC stayed within striking range at 41-39. EMCC then went four minutes and 40 seconds without any points.
An 8-0 run highlighted by a three-point play by Tamekia Foley, a layup by Elyse Willis off a steal and outlet pass by Viverette, and a putback basket by Viverette gave ECCC a 48-41 lead with 4:36 showing.
EMCC got to within five with 1:44 left when Candace Spires hit a 3-pointer, but a 5-of-6 showing at the free-throw line by Rita Birden and Britney Burks put ECCC up 63-51 and sealed the Lady Warriors' second straight win.
Gray led ECCC with 16 points. Viverette had nine, while Burks and Foley both scored eight. Of ECCC's top six scorers, all but Foley are freshmen.
Cedra Glover led EMCC with 15 points. Katrina Barr tossed in eight.
ECCC men 70
EMCC 58
The Warriors scored the first six points and held EMCC scoreless for a little over three minutes to start the men's contest. ECCC led 36-29 at halftime after being up 29-19 on a 3-pointer by Demario Qualls with 6:33 to go in the first half.
The Lions rallied to within 38-33, but Al Willis hit a pair of 3-pointers over a 52-second span to give ECCC a 44-36 lead.
After leading by as many as 12 when a basket by Hughes gave ECCC a 48-36 lead with 11:04 remaining, the Warriors were 11-of-16 at the free-throw line over the final eight minutes, while EMCC was a cold 1-of-6.
Donzel Crenshaw led ECCC with 13 points. Desmond Jones scored nine and Reggie Carter had eight.
Corey Hornsby, who came in averaging 32.7 points, was held to three after being saddled with four first half fouls.
EMCC got 11 points from Marcus Houston and nine from Anthony Johnson.