By By BRUCE HIXON – Sports Editor
If it seems like the T.R. Miller Lady Tigers never lose at home, at least in the new T.R. Miller Gymnasium, it is because they don't.
In fact, T.R. Miller has yet to lose a game since the doors to its new gym opened for business in the 2002-03 season. The Lady Tigers upped their record to 51-0 in the new gym with Thursday's 55-39 sub-regional victory over Francis Marion.
T.R. Miller's home winning streak dating back to its residence in the old gym is 56 games. More than five years have passed since the Lady Tigers last lost a home game. That came back on January 20, 2001 when UMS-Wright left Brewton with a 55-44 victory.
Some could argue T.R. Miller's home winning streak is 58 games. Back in the 2001-02 season when the old gym was not usable and the new gym had not been completed, the Lady Tigers hosted the Area Tournament at Jefferson Davis Community College and beat Andalusia for the championship. The Lady Tigers had a first-round bye and needed to play only one game in that tournament.
After T.R. Miller won the Area championship, it earned the right to host the sub-regional game against Clarke County. That game, which the Lady Tigers also won, was played at W.S. Neal.
T.R. Miller has two common links to the 51 straight wins in the new gym, senior center Joy McCorvey and head coach Ron Jackson.
McCorvey, who entered the program as an eighth grader and played her last game in the T.R. Miller Gym Thursday, was unaware of the accomplishment.
Jackson acknowledged the home winning streak has reached significant heights from both a team and McCorvey's individual standpoint.