East Mississippi Community College returns to the hardwood for Tuesday’s basketball season openers
The beginning of November signals the tip-off of the MACJC basketball season, as East Mississippi Community College hits the hardwood this week to open the 2016-17 hoops campaign.
SCOOBA – The beginning of November signals the tip-off of the MACJC basketball season, as East Mississippi Community College hits the hardwood this week to open the 2016-17 hoops campaign.
On Tuesday, the EMCC men play host to Faith Preparatory Academy, out of West Memphis, Arkansas, in a 7 p.m. home game at Keyes T. Currie Coliseum on the Scooba campus, while the women's team travels to Birmingham to take on Lawson State Community College in a 5:30 p.m. road contest. The Lions will then welcome rival Meridian Community College to Scooba on Thursday for a 5:30/7:30 p.m. hoops doubleheader.
Entering her 12th season as the head coach of the EMCC women's basketball team, former Mississippi State standout Sharon Thompson returns four players from last year's 13-9 team that went 7-5 within the MACJC's North Division to make the state tournament. Minus two-time all-state guard Ki-Ki Patterson, now at Jacksonville State University, the Lions are headlined by All-America candidate Quantesha Patterson, who put together an outstanding freshman season. The East Webster High School product was named NJCAA All-Region 23 and MACJC All-State First Team after averaging a state-best 20.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per contest along with ranking second nationally in field-goal percentage (65.8%).
Also returning along the Lions' frontline is Brandon's Coco Hobson, who averaged 8.9 points and 5.9 rebounds a game this past spring semester after transferring Kennesaw State University. Fellow sophomore Anissia May, out of Jackson's Jim Hill High School, started 17 games as a freshman role player a year ago, while Southeast Lauderdale's Gabrielle Cole is also back.
Being counted on to provide an immediate impact to the Lions' lineup is Georgia native Tyeisha Juhan, who was selected last year's Atlanta Journal-Constitution Southside Player of the Year and named to the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Class AAAA South All-State Team. The reigning recipient of the prestigious Vincent J. Dooley Award, for her distinguished individual character, outstanding teamwork and citizenship, averaged 25.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.2 steals and 1.4 assists per contest as a senior at Jonesboro's Mount Zion High School.
Also expected to contribute this season will be South Panola's Jasmine Wright, Kaisah Lucky, out of Brooklyn, New York, and forward La'Quesha Clemons, who is one year removed from West Lowndes High School. Pearl River Community College transfer Kelentra Gandy, along with fellow guards Robrieka Finn, from Ruleville Central High School, and Kelsey Kennedy, out of Birmingham's Woodlawn High School, round out the list of EMCC's incoming women's players.