By By BRUCE HIXON – Sports Editor
Would haves. Could haves. Maybe even should haves.
They could apply to any number of games the Jefferson Davis Community College Warhawks basketball team played this season.
That included Sunday's season finale where JDCC was ousted by the Bevill State-Sumiton Bears 74-66 in the opening round of the Alabama Community College Conference Region 22 Tournament played at Faulkner State College in Bay Minette.
The Warhawks wiped out a 12-point first half deficit and an eight-point halftime deficit to take the lead on three different occasions in the second half only to see each advantage slip away.
JDCC was able to overcome two offensive dry spells, but not a third. Nearly five minutes passed before the Warhawks scored with a free throw by Jeremy Cleveland and almost six minutes expired before
they got their first field goal with a three-pointer by Jairus Jackson.
Bevill State, which had won a 73-67 decision over JDCC earlier in the season, was not much better in the early going. The Bears (15-16) got just a three-pointer and free throw by Elency Erby and two free throws by Mondrae McCray to take a 6-4 lead in the first six minutes.
The Bears eventually ran their lead up to 15-7 on Leon Frazier's fastbreak bucket with 11:21 left in the half, but JDCC battled back on the strength of a three-pointer and two hoops by Arthur Richardson and a field goal by Kedric Wilson to tie the game at 18-18 with eight minutes left in the half.
The Warhawks' second dry spell was a six-minute scoreless drought where Bevill State went on an 11-0 run and opened up a 29-18 lead.
A bucket by Cleveland got JDCC going again and the Warhawks got a free throw by Richardson, an offensive rebound bucket by Terren Spann and two free throws by Wilson in the final 40 seconds of the half to narrow the gap to 33-25.
JDCC still faced an eight-point deficit six minutes into the second half, 45-37, when it made a move.
Two free throws and a field goal by Richardson, a three-pointer by Jackson and a hoop and charity toss by Wilson sparked a 10-2 run that tied the game at 47-47 with 10:53 left.
The Warhaws took their first lead of the game moments later when a steal by Spann led to a bucket by Wilson. Richardson followed with a three-point play and JDCC led 52-47 with 10:19 left.
The lead changed hands five more times over the next four and half minutes. JDCC took its last lead when Richardson hit a three-pointer with 5:53 left to put the Warhawks up 61-60.
More than four minutes passed before JDCC scored again and nearly five and a half minutes passed before the Warhawks hit another field goal.
Bevill State scored nine unanswered points during the third and fatal dry spell and the Bears went on an 11-1 overall run to grab a 71-62 lead with just 30 seconds left.
JDCC's season ended with an 11-19 record.
At Faulkner State
JDCC 25 41 – 66
Bevill State 33 41 – 74
JDCC (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Wilson 8-1-7-26; Richardson 6-2-4-22; Jackson 0-3-0-9; McMullen 2-0-0-4; Cleveland 1-0-1-3; Spann 1-0-0-2 (Totals: 18-6-12-66)
BEVILL STATE (2G-3FG-FT-TP) Allen 5-2-4-20; Rodgers 8-0-3-19; Erby 2-2-1-11; Frazier 2-1-1-8; Butler 2-0-2-6; McCray 1-0-3-5; Lee 1-0-1-3; Collins 1-0-0-2 (Totals: 22-5-15-74)
The Warhawks won a play-in game for the state tournament Friday when they ousted the L.B. Wallace Saints 56-48 at Andalusia. It was JDCC's second win in six days over L.B. Wallace.
It was the Warhawks second win in six days over L.B. Wallace. JDCC posted a 70-53 win over Saints February 25.
JDCC advanced largely due to a season low output allowed by its defense.
JDCC's fine defensive performance nearly went for naught, as the Warhawks own offense was kept in the ice box most of the game.
L.B. Wallace (13-19) got 10 first half points from Roderick Wilson and six more from Paul Lubin to build a 29-17 halftime lead. JDCC got seven points from Kedric Wilson in those first 20 minutes, but just 10 more from the rest of the lineup.
While the Warhawks hardly caught fire in the first 10 minutes of the second half, they did outscore L.B. Wallace 12-5 and cut the gap to 34-29.
Over the final 10 minutes Wilson burned the Saints for 10 points and Jairus Jackson hit a pair of clutch three-pointers. JDCC scored 27 points over the final 10 minutes, just two shy of their output for the previous 30 minutes.
At L.B. Wallace
JDCC 17 39 – 56
LB Wallace 29 19 – 48
JDCC (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Wilson 3-4-2-20; Jackson 0-4-3-15; Cleveland 2-0-2-6; Richardson 1-1-0-5; Spann 2-0-0-4; Rodgers 1-0-0-2; McKinney 1-0-0-2; McMullen 1-0-0-2 (Totals: 11-9-7-56)
LB WALLACE (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Reese 3-0-5-11; Billings 2-2-0-10; Wilson 5-0-0-10; Lubin 4-0-1-9; Thomas 2-0-0-4; Collazo 1-0-2-4 (Totals: 17-2-8-48)