Basketball Women

Women's Basketball Comes Up Short Against Northeast

bwagnon — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 16:06:08 +0000

Women's Basketball Comes Up Short Against Northeast bwagnon Tue, 11/08/2022 - 10:06

November 8, 2022

The Lady Warriors of �Ӱ��Ƶ fell to 1-1 on the year on Monday night, Nov. 7, with a 68-61 loss to Northeast Mississippi Community College.

The contest had a slow start for East Central as the Lady Tigers of NEMCC pulled out to a nine-point, 13-4, lead late in the first quarter. The Lady Warriors battled in the final minutes of the frame and capitalized on some key trips to the free throw line with Kennedee Shelton and Angela Middleton rattling home some freebies. Between the trips to the stripe, �Ӱ��Ƶ's Leilaya McMillian nailed a three-pointer. The quick turnaround cut the Lady Tiger lead to just two, 16-14, at the end of the frame.

In the second the action was back and forth with the Lady Warriors taking their first lead of the night, 20-19, at the six-minute mark. The lead came on a second-chance layup from Mady Buckley. The Lady Warrior Lead was short-lived as the Lady Tigers responded with a scoring burst that NEMCC on top 33-26 going into the half.

The game ground to a halt in the third quarter as fouls mounted for both teams. The free throw battle swung in both directions with the Lady Tigers growing their lead to as much as 10, 51-41, before a 7-0 �Ӱ��Ƶ run closed out the quarter with the Lady Tigers on top by just three, 51-38.

The scoring run continued in the fourth quarter and the Lady Warriors took their second lead of the night, 52-51, in the opening minutes of the final frame on a Middleton layup. The Lady Tigers hit back with a three-pointer and despite some solid play down the stretch with baskets from Kaedre Denson and a three-pointer from Cori Keats, the Lady Warriors were not able to come back and lost, 68-61.

The Lady Warriors finished the night shooting 28 percent (17-of-60) and 20 percent from three-point range (4-of-20), but were 77 percent from the free throw line, making 23-of-30 attempts. �Ӱ��Ƶ also outrebounded NEMCC by two, 46-44, but turned the ball over 22 times on the night.

Shelton led the Lady Warriors with 24 points, while McMillian added nine. Middleton and Denson came off the bench to score eight each. Denson also led the team in rebounding with 12 on the night and five blocks.

The Lady Warriors are on the road this Thursday, Nov. 10, as the team travels to Utica to take on the Hinds Lady Bulldogs at 6 p.m. More information will be released when it is available.

Lady Warrior Basketball Wins Big in Season Opener

bwagnon — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 18:19:45 +0000

Lady Warrior Basketball Wins Big in Season Opener bwagnon Wed, 11/02/2022 - 13:19

November 2, 2022

The �Ӱ��Ƶ Lady Warriors moved to 1-0 on the year on Tuesday night, Nov. 1, with a 79-40 victory over Wallace Community College Selma. The win marks the first victory for new head coach Betsy Harris.

The Lady Warriors took the lead just three and a half minutes into the contest on a pair of free throws from Kennedee Shelton and the team never looked back as the Lady Warriors maintained that advantage until the final buzzer.

�Ӱ��Ƶ led 18-11 after the first quarter of play, but that lead exploded in the second as the Lady Warriors outpaced the Lady Patriots, 26-8. The point differential came from stellar shooting beyond the arc from Cori Keats and Lexus Keyes. On the defensive end, the Lady Warriors held the Lady Patriots scoreless for the final five minutes of the second quarter to take a 44-19 lead into the locker room.

The third quarter was much of the same in the early minutes as the Lady Warrior defense locked down WCCS for the first four minutes. Eventually, the Lady Patriots broke the 26-0 scoring onslaught and sparked a scoring run themselves in the final minutes of the third. However, the Lady Warriors came back to life in the fourth and ran away with the 39-point victory.

�Ӱ��Ƶ finished the night 27-of-81 from the floor, 8-of-37 from three-point range, and 17-of-25 from the free throw line while WCCS was held to just 17-of-64 from the floor and 3-of-20 from deep. The Lady Warriors out-rebounded the Lady Patriots, 58-51.

Shelton led the Lady Warriors in scoring with 16 points, nine of which came from the free throw line, while Keats added 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting from three-point range. Leilaya McMillian and Faith Guy rounded out double-digit scorers with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Mady Buckley led the team in rebounds with 10, while five Lady Warriors dished out three assist each.

The Lady Warriors are back in action on Monday, Nov. 7, as the team plays host to the Northeast Mississippi Community College Lady Tigers in Brackeen-Wood Gymnasium at 6 p.m. That game can be seen live at www.eccclive.com/gold.

Lady Warrior Basketball Eager to Hit the Hardwood

bwagnon — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 14:20:41 +0000

Lady Warrior Basketball Eager to Hit the Hardwood bwagnon Mon, 10/31/2022 - 09:20

October 31, 2022

The �Ӱ��Ƶ women's basketball team is ready for an exciting 2022-23 season with a new coaching staff in place along with a team eager to take the floor in Brackeen-Wood Gymnasium.

The Lady Warriors will be led by Decatur native Betsy Harris in her first year as head coach. Harris comes to �Ӱ��Ƶ after an illustrious playing and coaching career. She is joined by former Choctaw Central assistant coach Elyse Willis. The duo looks to lead a fast-paced team that can utilize speed in transition to set up scoring opportunities.

"We hope to be up and down the court quickly with a smaller team," said coach Harris. "We are looking to score on the break and be quick in transition … we hope our defense will create our offense. Of course, we would like to get penetration and attack the basket, but we definitely have the ability to hit the three-point shots."

Despite the new staff, there will be several familiar faces in the gym with four returning sophomores and a pair of redshirt freshmen back on the 2022-23 squad. Returning players include Cori Keats, Jacey Cooper, Faith Guy, and Kaedre Denson. The group features several key players from last season, a year that ended with the Lady Warriors going 11-11 overall and 7-7 in conference play. Joining these sophomores are a pair of redshirt freshmen Kennedee Shelton and Angela Middleton.

"Having sophomores in a league like this is very valuable and we are excited to have the experience and the leadership they bring to the team," said Harris. "But with a smaller team, we are definitely going to need all of our freshmen players as they will all get significant minutes."

The Lady Warriors have a group of four freshmen that are excited to leave their mark on �Ӱ��Ƶ Lady Warrior basketball. These players include Leilaya McMillian, Aryonna Miller, Lexus Keyes, and Mady Buckley.

On the defensive end of the floor, the Lady Warriors are going to have to work hard to be a cohesive unit and defend the entire floor.

"We have to block out and defend the post to get wins," said Harris. "We will utilize a variety of defensive strategies and get creative on the defensive end of the floor to put our ladies in the best position to get stops."

The Lady Warriors are excited to take on a new year and get Warrior fans on their feet in Brackeen-Wood.

"We are looking forward to a great year," said Harris. "But what we really want to see out of our ladies is a group of players that are consistently coachable and bringing in full effort throughout the season, no matter the circumstances."

�Ӱ��Ƶ’s Scott Named JUCO Top 40 in Women's Basketball

bwagnon — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 14:34:04 +0000

�Ӱ��Ƶ’s Scott Named JUCO Top 40 in Women's Basketball bwagnon Wed, 06/15/2022 - 09:34

June 15, 2022

�Ӱ��Ƶ's upcoming sophomore Myeisha Scott, a forward from Jackson, was tabbed as a 2022 JUCO Top 40 player going into the 2022-23 season.

Scott, a 6’1 forward, was second on the team in scoring last season as she averaged 11 points per game while shooting 41 percent from the floor. Along with her stellar offensive production, Scott dominated the boards as she hauled in 88 offensive and 124 defensive rebounds for a season total of 212. She also added 23 blocks on the year.

Along with the honor, Scott has been invited to Clayton State University in Atlanta, Ga. to play in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-Star game, the only certified women's basketball junior college event in the nation. The All-Star weekend will take place from July 20-23 with games being played on July 22 and 23.

The Lady Warriors, under the direction of fifth-year head coach LaTaryl Williams, will tip off the 2022-23 season in November.

Lady Warriors Fall to BRCC Basketball

athompson — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 16:23:26 +0000

Lady Warriors Fall to BRCC Basketball athompson Tue, 03/01/2022 - 10:23

March 1, 2022

The �Ӱ��Ƶ Lady Warriors had the 2021-22 season come to a close on Monday night, February 28, as the Lady Warriors fell to Baton Rouge Community College in a challenging road contest. The game, a first-round NJCAA Region 23 Tournament matchup, featured the No. 12 seed Lady Warriors and No. 5 seeded Lady Bears. �Ӱ��Ƶ dropped the game 52-41 to finish the year 11-11, 7-7. Baton Rouge moves on to face Southwest on Tuesday, March 1 for second-round action. The semifinals and finals will be on Thursday and Saturday, March 3 and 5 at Mississippi College in Clinton.

A 12-4 BRCC run was the difference-maker in the first quarter of play on Monday as the Lady Bears built an early, substantial lead. the Lady Warriors were not deterred, and under Coach Williams' leadership, battled back to cut the game to six, 18-12 going into the second.

That fierce comeback bled into the second quarter as �Ӱ��Ƶ fired off six straight points in the opening five minutes of the frame to knot the game at 18-all. The game of runs continued as the Lady Bears responded with an eight-point swing that allowed BRCC to take a 28-22 advantage into the break.

After the break, the Lady Bears built their lead as they outpaced �Ӱ��Ƶ 18-7. Turnovers plagued the Lady Warriors in the 10-minute stretch. Those turnovers combined with minimal second chances on the offensive end of the floor allowed the Lady Bears to take a 46-29 lead into the final quarter.

�Ӱ��Ƶ doubled up the Lady Bears in the fourth quarter as the Lady Warriors showed no quit in the final 10 minutes of play. The Lady Warriors went on to outscore the Lady Bears 12-6 down the stretch, but it was not enough as BRCC hung on to win 52-41.

Basketball Teams Prep for Region Tourney

athompson — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 16:24:00 +0000

Basketball Teams Prep for Region Tourney athompson Thu, 02/24/2022 - 10:24

February 24, 2022

The �Ӱ��Ƶ men's and women's basketball seasons are not over yet as both programs will be playing the NJCAA Region 23 tournament later this week and early next week.

The tournament will feature all 19 teams from the NJCAA Region 23, which is comprised of all MACCC schools, along with Delgado, Baton Rouge, LSU Eunice, and Southern-Shreveport out of Louisiana.

The opening weekend of play will be a play-in round that the Warrior basketball team will participate in. The men are scheduled to travel to Wesson to face the Co-Lin Wolves on Saturday, February 26 at 2 p.m. The Warriors are 0-2 against the Wolf Pack this season, falling 74-66 and 77-65. �Ӱ��Ƶ is 4-6 over the last 10 meetings with Co-Lin. With a win, �Ӱ��Ƶ would return to action on Monday, February 28 at Northeast Mississippi for the first round of tournament play.

The Lady Warriors are slated to travel to Baton Rouge, La. to take on the Baton Rouge Community College Lady Bears on Monday, February 28 at 6 p.m. in first-round action. Since 2012, the Lady Warriors and BRCC have only faced off three times, with �Ӱ��Ƶ taking all three contests. The last matchup, Saturday, November 2, 2019, was the largest margin of victory for �Ӱ��Ƶ as the Lady Warriors thumped the Lady Bears, 68-33, for a 35 point win. With a win on Monday night, �Ӱ��Ƶ will face the winner of Southwest and Meridian on Tuesday, March 1.

The tournament will conclude on the campus of Mississippi College in Clinton for the semi-finals on Thursday, March 3, and Friday, March 4, and the championship games being held on Saturday, March 5.

Lady Warriors Basketball Defeats Northeast on Sophomore Night

athompson — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 14:49:13 +0000

Lady Warriors Basketball Defeats Northeast on Sophomore Night athompson Fri, 02/18/2022 - 08:49

February 18, 2022

The �Ӱ��Ƶ Lady Warriors moved to 11-10, 7-7 on the year with a 64-61 victory over Northeast Mississippi Lady Tigers on Thursday night, February 17, to wrap up the 2021-22 regular season on sophomore night. The Lady Warriors finished the year in ninth place in the MACCC, just one spot out of the MACCC Conference Tournament, but will play in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament. The opponent and time will be announced when they are determined.

The Lady Warriors were lights out in the opening moments as an 11-0 �Ӱ��Ƶ run spanned the first three minutes of action. That lead grew to as much as 18, 28-10 with seven minutes to go in the second quarter, but the Lady Tigers of Northeast began to fight back. Over the final seven minutes, that lead was trimmed down to just four, 35-31.

In the second half, the Lady Tigers knotted the game at 35-35, but �Ӱ��Ƶ did just to know to pull back in front and hang on to the lead. A big three-pointer from Wynter Taylor(Dallas, Texas) late in the third pushed the Lady Warrior advantage to four, 43-39, but Northeast continued to threaten. The Lady Warriors fired off a 6-0 run early in the fourth, but once again the Lady Tigers responded. Back-to-back lay-ins from Taylor in the final two minutes sealed the win for the Lady Warriors.

Taylor finished the game with a team-high and career-high 20 point performance as she was four-for-four from three-point range. Sylvia Jones (Brighton, Tenn.) added 16 points, while Myeisha Scott (Jackson) poured in 13 and had a team-best seven rebounds. JaQuasia Dorrough led Northeast with 25 points and nine rebounds, while Calysia Phillips netted 10. Northeast outrebounded �Ӱ��Ƶ 48-37.

As of now, the Lady Warriors will be back in action in the first round of the NJCAA Region 23 playoff on Monday, February 28. More information will be provided as the final games of the season wrap up around the region.

Lady Warriors Basketball Downs No. 21 Jones College

athompson — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 15:04:45 +0000

Lady Warriors Basketball Downs No. 21 Jones College athompson Fri, 02/11/2022 - 09:04

February 11, 2022

In an electric atmosphere in Brackeen-Wood Gymnasium on February 10, the �Ӱ��Ƶ Lady Warrior basketball team won their third straight contest, a thrilling 75-69 overtime victory over No. 21 Jones College. With the victory, �Ӱ��Ƶ moved to 10-9, 6-6 overall, which is good for 10th place in the current MACCC standings. Jones College falls to 14-6, 9-3 on the year. With just two regular-season games remaining the Lady Warriors are on the hunt for a MACCC playoff berth.

A 9-0 Jones College run in the opening five minutes of play had the Lady Warriors down early, but hustle plays and a pair of big free throws from Mer'Cades Miller (McComb) kept the Lady Warriors within striking distance, 16-9, going into the second.

The second quarter turned into a shootout as both squads offenses got the hot hand. The Lady Warriors came out of the break firing and quickly went on a 9-2 scoring run with baskets from Myeisha Scott (Jackson), Sylvia Jones (Brighton, Tenn.), and a big three-pointer from Kaedre Denson (Philadelphia). The gut-punch offensive attack knotted the game at 18-all with eight minutes to go until halftime. The next five minutes were a back-and-forth affair as the teams traded baskets by attacking the rim. Some late fouls sent the Lady Bobcats to the free-throw line and they cashed in as the Bobcat lead grew to five, 37-32, going into the half. Despite trailing, the Lady Warriors outscored Jones, 23-21, in the second and took a lot of energy to the locker room.

In the third, the Lady Warriors watched the Lady Bobcats lead grow to double-digits in the early minutes as a 7-0 run pushed the advantage to 44-32. The Lady Warriors finally got on the scoreboard with just four minutes remaining in the third with a Scott free throw. �Ӱ��Ƶ continued to attack the basket and not only draw fouls, but capitalized on the trips to the free-throw stripe nailing four straight. The quarter was rounded with a stellar three-pointer from Faith Guy (Enterprise), but �Ӱ��Ƶ trailed 46-42 going into the final 10 minutes of regulation.

The Lady Bobcats held on to their lead until the final three minutes of the fourth, and with just 3:17 on the clock, the Lady Bobcats were up by seven, 58-51. However, Cori Keats(Philadelphia) got the momentum going with a knock-down three-pointer to pull the lead to just four. Sophomore Mirial Cannon (Madison) followed suit and hit her own three-pointer on the next possession, bringing the lead to one, 58-57. The fans were on their feet as Denson hauled in a board on the ensuing Jones possession, and Cannon erupted the gym as she drained yet another three-pointer, the third in the row for �Ӱ��Ƶ, to give the Lady Warriors their first lead of the night since the opening basket with just 1:04 to play, 60-58. The Lady Bobcats got a basket back in the final seconds, and �Ӱ��Ƶ's potential game-winner at the buzzer rimmed out, sending the game to overtime.

In overtime, �Ӱ��Ƶ was quick to the board with a great basket from Scott. Cannon grew that lead to five, 65-60, with another massive three-pointer. The momentum, and the ruckus crowd, were fully in the Lady Warriors' favor over the final minutes as �Ӱ��Ƶ went on to hang on to that lead.

Cannon's 19-point performance led the team and was a career-high for the sophomore. Scott finished with yet another double-double as she scored 15 and brought down 15 rebounds. Sylvia Jones finished with 12 points and eight assists, while Denson posted 11. Sakyia White led Jones College with 20 points and 12 boards, and Jordan Clark netted 18. �Ӱ��Ƶ outrebounded Jones, 36-34, and shot 47 percent from the floor, including 7-of-15 from beyond the arc, and 20-of-26 from the free-throw line.

The Lady Warriors travel to Mississippi Delta (5-13, 1-9) on Monday night for a 6 p.m. tipoff, before closing out the regular season at home on Thursday, February 17, against Northeast, also at 6 p.m.

Lady Warrior Basketball Wins 2nd Straight

athompson — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 19:34:54 +0000

Lady Warrior Basketball Wins 2nd Straight athompson Tue, 02/08/2022 - 13:34

February 8, 2022

The �Ӱ��Ƶ Lady Warriors picked up their second straight win on Monday night, February 7, with a 72-42 thumping of the Holmes Community College Lady Bulldogs. With the win, the Lady Warriors are back at .500 with a 9-9 overall record and a 5-6 MACCC mark. The Lady Bulldogs fell to 1-18, 1-10 on the season.

It was all �Ӱ��Ƶ in Goodman on Monday night as the Lady Warriors led early in a MACCC matchup with the Lady Bulldogs. The Lady Warriors poured in 12 points in the first quarter and locked down the defensive end of the court, allowing just seven Holmes' points.

�Ӱ��Ƶ's Faith Guy (Enterprise) began heating up in the second quarter and netted a pair of three-pointers to help grow the lead even further. Cori Keats (Philadelphia) got in on the long-ball action and also rattled home a three-pointer to help the Lady Warriors take an 11-point, 31-20 lead into the locker room.

The third quarter is where the Lady Warriors ran away in the contest as they outscored the Lady Bulldogs 26-6 in the 10-minute frame. Guy and Keats both nailed another three-pointer each, while Wynter Taylor (Dallas, Texas) rallied from a scoreless first half with three key baskets. Shemaiah Smith (Terry) also got in the scoring action, along with Mer'Cades Miller (McComb), Sylvia Jones (Brighton, Tenn.), and Myeisha Scott (Jackson).

Going to the fourth, the Lady Warriors led 57-26. Coach Williams and the Lady Warrior offense pumped the breaks in the final minutes to cruise to a 72-42 victory.

Jones and Guy led the Lady Warriors with 12 points each, a mark that ties a career for Guy. Miller and Taylor both finished with double-digits with 10 apiece, while Scott led on the boards with eight. Other notable stats were Miller's three assists and three steals, both team highs. The Lady Warriors were stellar at the free-throw line, going 13-of-14 on the night, and outrebounded the Lady Bulldogs 32-16.

The Lady Warriors are back at home Thursday, February 10, as the team takes on the No. 21 Jones College Lady Bobcats (14-5, 7-2) at 6 p.m. That game can be seen live at www.eccclive.com/gold.

2nd Quarter Push Lifts Lady Warriors to Basketball Win Over EMCC

bwagnon — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 12:41:46 +0000

2nd Quarter Push Lifts Lady Warriors to Basketball Win Over EMCC bwagnon Fri, 02/04/2022 - 06:41

February 4, 2022

It was a battle on Thursday night, Feb. 3, but the �Ӱ��Ƶ Lady Warriors ended a three-game losing streak with a stellar 59-49 win over the East Mississippi Lady Lions. With the win, the Lady Warriors improve to 8-9, 4-6 on the year, while the Lady Lions fall to 8-10, 5-5.

After a slow start in the first quarter neither team was in control, but a 9-2 EMCC run, capped off with a three-pointer from Ciara Jackson, put the Lions on top by four, 11-7, with three minutes to play in the first frame. The Lady Warriors hit back with a pair of free throws from Mirial Cannon (Madison) and a big basket from Sylvia Jones (Brighton, Tenn.) to tie the game 11-all after one.

The game saw another tie early in the second quarter with back-and-forth action down the floor, but �Ӱ��Ƶ caught fire and went on a 12-2 scoring onslaught two minutes into the quarter. The huge run was led by dominating paint play from both Myeisha Scott (Jackson) and Kaedre Denson (Philadelphia) and most baskets were the results of EMCC turnovers. After the Lady Warriors' burst, �Ӱ��Ƶ led 25-15 and was the turning point of the contest.

�Ӱ��Ƶ maintained their lead as they outscored the Lady Lions, 15-13, in the third quarter and eventually grew the lead to as much as 14, 59-45, in the final minutes of the game as the Lady Warriors cruised to the win.

Three Lady Warriors posted double-digits in the scoring column with Scott and Jones both posting team-high 12 point performances. Denson finished with 10. Scott cleaned the glass for �Ӱ��Ƶ with nine rebounds, while Shemaiah Smith (Terry) came off the bench and hauled in eight. Wynter Taylor (Dallas, Texas) had a strong game as she dished out five assists. The Lady Warriors also limited turnovers as they only posted 10 in the contest, but were outrebounded 48-40. �Ӱ��Ƶ finished the night shooting 43 percent from the field and a much-improved 82 percent from the free-throw stripe.

EMCC was led by Siarra Jackson's 17 points, while Shakira Wilson scored 16. The Lady Lions shot 27 percent from the floor.

The Lady Warriors are on the road on Monday, Feb. 7, as the team travels to Holmes to take on the Lady Bulldogs (1-17, 0-9) at 6 p.m. Links to the game will be posted when they become available.