March 8, 2017
The East Central Community College women’s basketball team held the MACJC state champions, No. 14 nationally ranked Jones County Junior College, close for most of the game before falling 96-70 in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament Tuesday, March 7, on the campus of Mississippi College in Clinton.
ECCC only trailed Jones 20-15 after the first quarter and were able to take the lead when Shantavis Hughes of Hattiesburg High School sank a long three-pointer to go up 22-21 with 6:29 left in the first half.
The lead went back and forth, but the Lady Warriors came out on top 34-32 at the intermission.
East Central then got into foul trouble, with two key players fouling out in the second half and the Lady Warriors could not hold on to their lead.
ECCC was tied with Jones 46-46 with six minutes left in the third quarter, before the Lady Bobcats outscored the Lady Warriors 50-24 in the final 15 minutes of play.
Leading East Central was Hughes with 16 points, Autumn Taylor of Newton High School and Curtisha Coleman of Wayne County High School with 14 points each, Aniyah Marshall of Itawamba Agricultural High School with 11, and Laneisha Jeans of Pine Forest (Fla.) High School with 10.
The Lady Warriors end the season 13-11 overall.
