By By BRUCE HIXON Sports Editor
After the game was over, Jefferson Davis Community College Warhawks coach Allen Gainer sat in his office and breathed a big sigh.
It was a sigh of both relief and exhaustion after his Warhawks slipped past the visiting Enterprise-Ozark Boll Weevils 73-69 Monday.
It was relief because JDCC's first home court victory in more than two months came against the defending Alabama Community College Conference champions. It was also relief because
the Warhawks showed the ability to bounce back after a 42-point loss at Southern Union 48 hours earlier.
It was also exhaustion. The Warhawks survived 10 second half deadlocks and never led by more than four points until the final minute of play.
While JDCC was flattened at Southern Union Saturday, Monday's win was the second in three games for the Warhawks after an 11-game on-the-court losing streak.
The Warhawks (4-13 overall and 2-3 in the ACCC) survived a potential storm in the first half when
See JDCC Page 8A
Enterprise-Ozark (7-9 overall, 1-3 in the ACCC) took a pair of seven-point leads, the last of which was a 21-14 margin at the halfway point
See JDCC Page 8A
of the first half.
JDCC responded with a key five-minute stretch that was probably a turning point in the game.
Kedric Wilson drained a pair of treys, Arthur Richardson also had a three-pointer and Sam Smith hit all three free throws after he was fouled on a three-point attempt that sparked a 16-4 surge that put the Warhawks up 30-25.
While JDCC relinquished that lead when Tick Snow hit a three-pointer that put Enterprise-Ozark back in front 36-34, the Warhawks got the lead back in the final minute of the first half on Jairus Jackson's fadeway baseline jumper moments after Richard Ford tied the game on a thunderous dunk.
JDCC's 38-36 halftime edge lasted just a few moments at the start of the second half after two free throws by Adrian Folmar tied it and Snow's three-pointer put Enterprise-Ozark up 41-38. It was the last time the Boll Weevils would lead.
Although JDCC quickly wiped out that lead, it would not take the lead for good until Sam Smith's offensive rebound bucket with 2:40 left snapped a 63-63 tie.
Over the next two minutes Jackson hit three of four charity tosses with a free throw by Richardson squeezed in between that tookt he lea dup to 69-63.
Jackson and Wilson both added two free throws in the final minute that secured the win.
Free throws as a whole helped JDCC to the win. The Warhawks hit 19 of 26 free throws (73 percent), while Enterprise-Ozark was only 11-for-21 (53 percent).
So was the Warhawks perimeter defense in the second half. The Boll Weevil hit 10 three-pointers in the game, but only three of those came in the second half.
JDCC steps out of conference play Thursday for a 7 p.m. home game against Huntingdon. The Warhawks then resume ACCC action Saturday with a 7 p.m. home date against L.B. Wallace.
At JDCC
Enterprise 36 33 – 69
JDCC 38 35 – 73
ENTERPRISE (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Snow 2-2-4-14; Folmar 1-2-4-12; Yeager 1-3-0-11; Taylor 4-0-0-8; Floyd 3-0-1-7; Duffy 2-1-0-7; Sims 0-2-0-6; Pittman 1-0-1-3; Dozier 0-0-1-1 (Totals: 14-10-11-69)
JDCC (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Wilson 6-2-5-23; Smith 6-1-4-19; Richardson 1-2-1-9; Ford 3-1-0-9; Jackson 1-0-7-9; Spann 1-0-1-3; Myers 0-0-1-1 (Totals: 18-6-19-73)
Saturday's game
The Warhawks suffered their second most lopsided defeat of the season Saturday when they dropped a 97-55 ACCC decision at Southern Union.
Southern Union, which burned the Warhawks defense for 13 three-pointers, already had the game well in hand by halftime when they jumped out to a 46-24 lead. Southern Union then tacked on 20 more points to that cushion in the second half.
Sam Smith was the lone JDCC player to reach double digits with 16 points.
At Southern Union
JDCC 24 31 – 55
Southern Union 46 51 – 97
JDCC (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Smith 4-1-5-16; Myers 2-0-4-8; Wilson 2-0-4-8; Richardson 1-1-0-5; McMullen 2-0-1-5; Spann 2-0-0-4; Webb 1-0-2-4; Ford 0-1-1-4; Hazley 0-0-1-1 (Totals: 14-3-18-55)
SOUTHERN UNION (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Algood 8-1-0-19; Holloway 1-5-1-18; Stockdale 4-3-1-18; Dix 1-4-1-15; Rivers 2-0-2-6; Young 2-0-1-5; Curry 1-0-3-5; M. Jones 1-0-2-4; Tucker 1-0-2-4; Gilbert 0-0-2-2; C. Jones 0-0-1-1 (Totals: 21-13-16-97)