By Staff
EMCC splits with Mississippi Delta
MOORHEAD Clem Celestine scored 19 points and Ralphael Edwards had 16 while Reshard Alonza netted 10 as the East Mississippi Community College Lions (4-13, 2-5) defeated Mississippi Delta 80-73 on Thursday night in Moorhead.
Mississippi Delta won the women's game 63-53.
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Whitehead grabs SEC honors
STARKVILLE After leading Mississippi State to a 4-0 record at the Fiesta Bowl Tournament in Phoenix, Ariz., including upset victories over top-ranked Arizona and 17th-ranked Southwest Texas State, Kasey Whitehead was awarded SEC Pitcher of the Week honors, the league office announced Monday.
Although facing the pressure of being tabbed as the Bulldogs top pitcher, Whitehead handled the role incredibly this past weekend, hurling a career-high six strikeouts in a 7-1 thrashing of 17th-ranked Southwest Texas State in the season opener on Friday. She allowed just one earned run in seven innings of work, surrendering just three hits.
She followed up the showing with an outstanding relief performance less than four hours later, hurling three innings of no-hit ball and striking out two in a 12-4 defeat of Texas Tech in five innings. In a 11-hit, 12-run fifth inning rally for the Bulldogs, it was Whitehead's towering three-run homer that put the finishing touches on the eight-run mercy rule.
Although making a name for herself in the opening two games, Whitehead turned in a career performance against top-ranked and defending national champion Arizona Saturday afternoon, scattering eight hits and striking out four Wildcats in a 7-1 victory.
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ECCC signs Alabama lineman
DECATUR A highly touted defensive lineman from Alabama has signed a national letter of intent with East Central Community College, announced Terry Underwood, Warrior head football coach.
Underwood said Henry Smith, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound defender from Aliceville (Ala.) High School, inked with the Warriors on Friday. Smith, an first team All-State performer, was named the top defensive lineman in Alabama for the 2001 season.
The ECCC head mentor was obviously pleased to sign the defensive standout who was tapped by the University of Alabama but was academically ineligible.
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NMO softball registration set
Registration for the North Meridian Optimist Girls Softball League is set for next month.
Registration will begin Sunday, March 3, through Saturday, March 9 (registration will not be held Wednesday, March 6) at the North Meridian Girls Softball Complex, two miles north of 52nd Street on Mississippi Hwy 39 North (near Tommy's Seafood and Steak House Restaurant). Times for registration are Monday-Friday 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The registration fee is $50 per girl. Girls between the ages 6 and 18 are encouraged to join the league. A girl who has never played before needs to bring her birth certificate to registration.
If you have questions, call 484-6821.
Ole Miss women golfers in fifth
ORLANDO, Fla. The Ole Miss women's golf team held down the fifth place position at the UCF Invitational after the first round of play on Monday behind the play of sophomore Teesha Ash who fired a 76 on the day.
The Lady Rebels fired a 313 on the day. The tournament is being played at the Stoneybook Country Club on a par-72, 5,919-yard course.
Ash led the Lady Rebels on the day and tied for the No. 11 spot. Following closely on her heels was senior Elizabeth Hoffman who fired a 77 to tie for the No. 16 spot. The Lady Rebels will conclude play on Tuesday in the final round of action.
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USM opens road trip tonight
Southern Miss opens a six-day, two-game road trip today when the Golden Eagles play at East Carolina at 6 p.m.
Following the East Carolina game,the Golden Eagles stay on the road, and move on to Cincinnati for a Friday,Feb. 15,ESPN game against the nationally-ranked Bearcats.
USM and ECU have played just twice, and have not met since a 1972 game in Hattiesburg. The Pirates have won both games 103-81 in Greenville, N.C., in 1971 and 96-86 the following season.
This marks ECU's first year as a basketball member of Conference USA, and the Pirates and Eagles bring similar records into the game. Southern Miss is 7-14 overall and 2-9 in league play, while East Carolina is 8-15 and 2-9. The Pirates are coming off a 62-51 loss at DePaul, while Southern Miss lost to Marquette 72-58 at Marquette.
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USM women fall to Lady Cougars
HOUSTON (AP) Chandi Jones scored 21 and Valerie Muoneke grabbed 11 rebounds to help Houston past Southern Mississippi 65-57 Sunday.
Houston (17-6, 7-3 Conference USA) got 12 points from Ashley Cotton and 11 from Shondra Bush. Southern Miss (10-14, 3-8) was led by La'Tasha Sumerall's 20 points. Tierra Lassiter scored 11.
Both teams suffered dismal shooting days. Each team shot 30 percent from the field, Houston on 21-of-71 shooting and Southern Miss on 22-of-73.
From the free throw line, Houston was 4-of-17 23.5 percent. Southern Miss was 4-of-20 for 20 percent.
UWA men knock off Montevallo
LIVINGSTON, Ala. With the 2001-2002 season drawing near an end, the University of West Alabama men's basketball team continued its strong play, picking up its fourth win in five games by defeating Montevallo 75-69 on Monday. The win marked the second time in nine days that UWA has knocked off the first-place team in the GSC East Division.
UWA's Richard Stone led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Steven Sims came on to score 17 points despite being in early foul trouble. Jonathan Poe added 12 points, while teammate Brandon Cornelius contributed nine points and a team leading nine rebounds.
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