By By Richard Dark/The Meridian Star
April 11, 2001
The East Mississippi Community College Lady Lions basketball team has had far more than its fair share of problems with injuries over the past few seasons.
But perhaps none more so than the past campaign, when Lady Lions head coach Dale Peay lost not one, but two point guards to season-ending knee injuries.
Peay figures to alleviate that problem today when he signs West Lauderdale point guard Julie McCrory to a national letter-of-intent.
A three-year starter for West head coach Jody Hurst, McCrory averaged 8.5 points and four assists, hardly eye-popping numbers by any stretch, but according to Peay, McCrory's excellent ball-handling skills are exactly what the Lady Lions need.
Over the final three-game span, EMCC, which posted only two victories last season, turned the ball over at the one position a total of 36 times.
Hurst said McCrory's background will help her be competitive at the juco level.
McCrory started out in AAU at the age of 10 and came to West Lauderdale as a 10th-grader, having moved from another highly-successful program just outside of Baton Rouge, La.
McCrory said she wasn't sure if she would pursue playing fast-pitch softball for the Lady Lions.
Peay, who will begin his 17th year at EMCC this season, said he hopes the signing of McCrory will be the start of something very positive.
Richard Dark is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at rdark@themeridianstar.com.