Northeast wins on Senior Night

By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
Feb. 11, 2004
Harold Grace went out in style.
The Northeast Lauderdale senior scored 13 points on Senior Night as the Trojans downed Neshoba Central 63-45 on Tuesday.
Grace was one of four Northeast Lauderdale players in double figures. Alex Ford scored a game-high 18 points, including eight in the third quarter. Maurice Langston had 13 points, and Ramero Osby chipped in 10.
The Trojans, 12-13 overall, have won six of their last seven games.
Neshoba Central trailed just 6-5 in the opening minutes, but the Trojans went on an 8-0 run, capped by an Alex Ford tip-in.
Ford's next bucket, a two-handed slam that came courtesy of a no-look pass from Maurice Langston, put Northeast Lauderdale up 16-8.
The Trojans' advantage hit 20 for the first time late in the second quarter, when Antonio "Paco" Clayton drained a three-pointer from the corner for a 31-10 lead. Northeast Lauderdale led 35-17 at halftime.
Neshoba Central made a quick run early in the second half, coming within 14 at one point. Harold Grace repelled the Rockets though, hitting a three-pointer for a 40-23 Trojans lead. A dunk by Ford put Northeast Lauderdale up 48-27.
Ford put an exclamation point on the Trojans' night with an alley-oop dunk late in the fourth quarter on a dish from Langston. Northeast Lauderdale went up 63-43 on the slam.
Lightsey said that Ford, who hurt his ankle on Friday, was questionable as late as Monday afternoon.
NE Lauderdale (girls) 61
Neshoba Central 36
Shaquita Bell scored 18 points, including 12 in the first half, to lead Northeast Lauderdale to a 61-36 win over Neshoba Central.
After a fast start in the first period, Northeast Lauderdale led by double digits throughout the second quarter. Seconds before the second quarter ended, Audrea Harrison hit a layup on a dish by Sheree Needom that put the Lady Trojans up 38-16 at halftime.
Bell gave Northeast Lauderdale a 46-20 lead with three minutes left in the third quarter on a layup banked high off the glass, but it was the Lady Trojans' last field goal of the period. Neshoba Central scored six straight points at the end of the third quarter, highlighted by a sharp pass that glanced off Tasha Ragsdale's hands and through the hoop.
Northeast Lauderdale went up by 30 late in the fourth quarter. Neshoba Central nearly came within 20 points of the Lady Trojans after Molly Talbott hit a layup for the Lady Rockets with two minutes to play, but Neshoba Central did not score again.
The win was the last home game in the careers of three Northeast Lauderdale seniors. Audrea Harrison, Crystal Hopson and Sheree Needom each played their final home game for the Lady Trojans, with Hopson and Needom each scoring six points and Harrison scoring four.
Kristi Pilgrim led Neshoba Central with 14 points.