After coming up on the short end of a lot of close basketball games of late, the East Central Community College Warriors finally won a close one with a 77-72 victory over the Copiah-Lincoln Wolves Thursday, Feb. 7. The East Central Lady Warriors dropped their second straight game in the opener 70-60 to the Lady Wolves.
Eight of the Warriors’ 10 losses this season have been by a combined 26 points, including a four-point 78-74 loss to Co-Lin back on Jan. 14 in Decatur. But East Central would not be denied in the rematch with Co-Lin. With the game tied 60-60 with five minutes to play, East Central took control down the stretch for the win.
East Central forward Marcus Bates was the difference in the game. The freshman from Paul Bryant High School in Tuscaloosa, Ala., had a career night with 30 points and 13 rebounds. He was a near-perfect 11 of 12 shooting from the floor and hit all seven free throws he attempted. Fellow freshmen guard Nick Preyer (Mobile, Ala., Leflore) and forward JaQuarius Smith of Noxubee County also had strong games with 16 and 10 points, respectively. Preyer dished out five assists.
With the win, the Warriors improved to 9-10 overall and 2-8 in MACJC South Division play. Co-Lin fell to 10-9 and 3-7.
The ECCC Lady Warriors ended the two-game road swing this week with a pair of losses.
Freshman guard Jariyah Covington of Starkville continued to have the hot hand for the Lady Warriors, scoring 20 points. Sophomore forward Diamond Wraggs of Louisville had 12 points as the only other East Central player in double figures. Wraggs also had six rebounds
The ECCC Lady Warriors are now 14-5 overall on the season and 5-5 in the league. The Co-Lin Lady Wolves improved to 15-4 overall and 6-4 in the South Division.
East Central travels to Meridian on Thursday, Feb. 14, for games at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
