MCC Lady Eagles Set For Region 23 Tournament

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Lady Eagles are preparing for the next chapter of its 2012-2013 season and looking for a repeat of a magical postseason run from a year ago. The Lady Eagles have qualified for the field of the 2013 Region 23 Tournament which will be played at A.E. Wood Coliseum on the campus of Mississippi College. MCC captured the 2012 Region 23 Championship last season and are hoping for the same result this season, but the road will be much more difficult for the Lady Eagles in 2013.

MCC will open the tournament Thursday night against Copiah-Lincoln Community College at 6 p.m. The Lady Eagles will enter the field as the number seven seed, while the Lady Wolves will enter the Region 23 Tournament as the top seeded team. Co-Lin clinched the top spot in the field of the tournament by capturing the MACJC State Championship last week by defeating Northeast Mississippi Community College by a final score of 64-46. The MACJC State Tournament was played last week on the campus of Pearl River Community College.

MCC (20-10) finished runner-up for the 2012-2013 Miss-Lou Conference Championship by dropping a heartbreaker on the road Saturday at Baton Rouge Community College by a final score of 96-89 in overtime. The Lady Eagles had solid scoring efforts in the final regular season game of the season from Ashtin McNichols (22 points) and Gelese Lampton (21 points).

Lampton has paced the Lady Eagles in the scoring department all season by averaging close to 20 points per contest and the Hattiesburg, MS native also closed the regular season by draining over 100 three-point baskets. Lampton has already signed a basketball scholarship to continue her playing career at Prairie View A&M.

McNichols, a former Newton High standout, will look to continue her solid play over the past 10 games. McNichols has primarily seen most of her minutes off the bench during the 2012-2013 season, but the sophomore has drawn several starts down the stretch of the season. McNichols leads the team in free throw percentage and will look to give MCC a veteran presence in the tournament.

Reyada Stinner, a former Meridian High product, will look to help pace the Lady Eagles in the tournament as well. Stinner leads MCC in assists and was a key factor in the postseason run last season for the Lady Eagles by draining two key three-point baskets in the championship game against Itawamaba in 2012.

Co-Lin (23-3) will enter the 2013 Region 23 Tournament having won 13 straight games and the Lady Wolves are currently ranked among the top 30 teams in the country according to the latest NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Poll. MCC eliminated the Lady Wolves in the semi-final round of the 2012 Region 23 Tournament at Mississippi College.

Vintrice Briggs leads Co-Lin by averaging 12 points per game, while Chanta Poole is averaging 11 points per game.

Northeast Mississippi Community College will face Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, while Jones County Junior College will tangle with Baton Rouge Community College at 2:30 p.m. Itawamba Community College takes on Northwest Mississippi Community College at 8 p.m. in the final game of the opening day of the 2013 Region 23 Women’s Tournament.

The JCJC/BRCC winner will meet the Northeast/MGCCC winner at 6 p.m. on Friday, while the Itawamba/Northwest winner plays the Co-Lin/MCC winner at 8 p.m.

The women’s championship game is set for 6 p.m. on March 9.


Region 23 Tournament

At Mississippi College

A.E. Wood Coliseum

WOMEN

Thursday’s games

Northeast vs. Mississippi Gulf Coast, 12:30 p.m.

Jones County vs. Baton Rouge Community College (La.), 2:30 p.m.

Co-Lin Community College vs. Meridian Community College, 6 p.m.

Itawamba vs. Northwest, 8 p.m.

Friday’s games

JCJC/BRCC winner vs. Northeast/MGCCC winner, 6 p.m.

Itawamba/Northwest winner vs. Co-Lin/MCC winner, 8 p.m.

Saturday’s game

Championship, 6 p.m.