|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||
Pictured above-Northeast Mississippi Community College assistant basketball coach Maurice Stafford (from left) and head women’s basketball coach Ricky Ford honor the 2009 Lady Tiger sophomore basketball players Erika Wright (McNairy Central, Tenn.), Eboni Crayton (McNairy Central Tenn.), Suzanne Ford (Booneville) and manager Beth Clark (West Union).
LADY TIGERS DEFEAT COAHOMA, CLINCH STATE TOURNAMENT BERTH
BOONEVILLE, Miss. -- Northeast Mississippi Community College Lady Tigers basketball team defeated the Coahoma Lady Tigers at Bonner Arnold Coliseum in the MACJC North Division match up that clinched a state tournament berth for Northeast.
Northeast opened the evening by recognizing its three second-year players on sophomore night in front of the home crowd.
Eboni Crayton (McNairy Central, Tenn.), Erika Wright (McNairy Central, Tenn.), and Suzanne Ford (Booneville) were all presented with flowers and a basketball in honor of their service to the Northeast Lady Tiger Basketball program over the past two years.
Manager Beth Clark (West Union) was also recognized for her hard work and dedication to the Lady Tiger basketball program by head coach Ricky Ford and assistant coach Maurice Stafford.
“Through all the adversity, injuries and disappointment that this team has had to endure this season, I am very pleased that we will be able to make playoffs,” said Ford. “This shows the character that true champions must exhibit to excel. I am very pleased for each one of them to be able to represent Northeast in the postseason tournaments. The players and coaching staff are very excited and we are looking forward to the challenges that we will face in the coming weeks.”
Coach Ford’s sophomores shone in their final home game with Crayton and Wright both ending their evening with a double-double in the 88-74 victory.
“I was really pleased with our team last night. We had several of our players really step up and contribute in a big way,” said Ford. “Sophomores Erika Wright had 26 points and 18 rebounds while Eboni Crayton finished with 11 points on 15 rebounds. Freshman forward Shefarrah Turner (Oxford) came off bench and had a double-double in the game in another solid performance by her.”
Northeast out rebounded Coahoma 76-30 while picking up 27 second-chance points to Coahoma’s eight.
Northeast got to the free throw line 44 times and knocked down 32 of their free throw attempts (73-percent) on the night.
Northeast improved its record to 10-12 overall and 5-6 in the North Division and was able to clinch a spot in the 2009 state tournament with the win on Monday night.
Northeast’s final North Division match-up of 2009 will be on the road on Thursday, February 19 as it travels to Scooba to face the East Mississippi Lions. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. for the Lady Tigers.
###
