 |
| Kalybriah Haskin goes up for two to help the Lady Warrior's comeback from behind. |
CLINTON, Miss.—The East Central Community College Lady Warrior basketball team fell 77-75 to the Holmes Community College Lady Bulldogs in the first round of the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 23 Tournament Wednesday, March 2.
The tournament is being played in the A.E. Wood Coliseum on the campus of Mississippi College in Clinton.
East Central entered this year’s Region 23 Tournament as the No. 1 seed. Holmes was the No. 7 seed. It was the first meeting of the year between the two teams.
The Lady Warriors earned the top seed by virtue of winning its first Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges State Championship in a dozen years on Feb. 25 with a 75-63 win over the Itawamba Community College Lady Indians.
Four Lady Warriors put up double-digit scoring. Samantha Duncan, a product of Oak Grove High School led all scorers with 28 points. Kalybriah Haskin (Olympian High School, Chula Vista, Calif.) had 12 points. East Central’s Alexia Mcdonald and Miracle Rushing both chipped in double-doubles, with Mcdonald adding 20 points and 10 rebounds. Rushing put up 11 and brought down 10.
The Lady Warriors came back from a 36-29 deficit going into the locker room. ECCC tied the game up to 73 with 2:30 in the ballgame.
Duncan attempted a three-pointer with two seconds left in the game, but was not able to sink it.
East Central still has a chance at an at-large bid to the NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championships to be played March 14-19 in Lubbock, Texas.
Following a 95-84 loss at Jones County Junior College back on Dec. 7, 2015, the Lady Warriors have reeled off 19 straight wins.
East Central finished its season with a 24-3 overall record. Holmes improved to 18-7.
Score by quarters:
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
ECCC 15 14 19 27 75
HCC 13 23 29 12 77
