Fanta Kone

After starting the season 2-0, the Apache Ladies and Apaches are hosting basketball tournaments this week.

APACHE LADIES

The Tyler Junior College women’s basketball team is hosting the Herb Richardson Classic on Friday and Saturday at Wagstaff Gymnasium.

Friday’s schedule includes: Temple vs. Angelina, 2 p.m.; Collin vs. Kilgore, 4 p.m.; and Tyler vs. Western Texas, 6 p.m.

Along with the college games on Saturday there will be two high school girls basketball games. The schedule includes: Kilgore vs. Temple, 11 a.m.; Angelina vs. Western Texas, 1 p.m.; Broaddus High School vs. Martinsville HS, 3 p.m.; Tyler vs. Collin, 5 p.m.; and Tenaha HS vs. Winnsboro HS, 7 p.m.

The Apache Ladies opened the season with wins in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They defeated Southwest Mississippi, 75-54, on Nov. 3 and Northeast Mississippi, 66-49, on Nov. 4.

Lillian Jackson led Tyler against SW Mississippi with 13 points, followed by Fanta Kone (12) and Scejeonna Anderson (10).

In victory No. 2, Kone led with 14 points, while Shalayne Morgan added 12. Grace Ezebilo had eight rebounds.

The Classic honors the late Tyler Junior College women’s coach.

Richardson was born in Livingston where he attended Livingston High School. After graduation, he enlisted in the US Army where he served during World War II. Upon returning home, he began his post-secondary education at Tyler Junior College where he was a scholarship athlete earning an Associate Degree, and numerous awards including men’s basketball All-America and national champion.

After graduating TJC, he continued his education at the University of Houston where he played for basketball for the Cougars. There he received a Bachelor’s degree in History and Kinesiology.

He was basketball coach at Mount Pleasant and Van high schools before becoming an assistant under Floyd Wagstaff at TJC. He was later a TJC counselor, but then became head coach of the TJC women’s basketball team, where he led the Apache Ladies to the national tournament, including finishing second in 1979.

Coach Richardson was inducted into the TJC Circle of Honor in 1995.

APACHES

It will be Texas vs. Kansas in the men’s Tyler Classic.

Saturday’s games will be played at the Herrington Patriot Center on the UT Tyler campus. The schedule has Kilgore vs. Independence (Kansas), 5:30 p.m.; and Tyler vs. Pratt (Kansas), 7:30 p.m.

Sunday’s games are set for Wagstaff Gymnasium on the TJC campus. The slate includes: Kilgore vs. Pratt, 1 p.m.; and TJC vs. Independence, 3 p.m.

The Apaches’ two wins are over Southwestern Christian (76-72) on Nov. 2 and CYM Prep (83-78) on Nov. 4.

In the win over SWCC, Jermontae Hill led Tyler with 19 points, followed by Dariyus Woodson (14) and JJ Londen (11).

Against CYM Prep, BJ Hooper Jr. paced TJC with 17 points. He was followed by Hill (16), Woodson (15), Sammon Johnson (10) and Hudson Anderson (11).