WESSON- The Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wolves moved onestep closer to a possible South Division title Monday night, asthey put the ream, steam and dry-clean on the Meridian CommunityCollege Eagles 83-58 in Mullin Gymnasium.

Co-Lin moved to 16-6 overall and a South Division leading 10-1.Meridian dropped to 5-17 and 2-9. The South Division men’s winnerwill host the MACJC state tournament in two weeks.

Co-Lin travels to Hinds (Utica campus) Thursday for anotherSouth Division showdown.

The Eagles started this game with the hot hand. Brookhavenproduct Jasper Hall opened the scoring with a short jumper for a2-0 lead. Meridian, coached by George Brooks, went toe-to-toe withCo-Lin, holding a 12-10 lead on a basket by sophomore point guardRico Gray.

That is when the Wolves turned on the steam. Luke Lofton, a6-foot-3 sophomore from Brookhaven (West Lincoln), gave Co-Lin thelead for good on a trey. Head Coach Dennis Sims’ ballclub wouldauthor a 28-14 run, taking a 41-28 lead into the halftime lockerroom.

“We shot the ball well tonight, especially Joe Holliday,” saidSims. Holliday, a 6-foot-2 freshman from Baton Rouge, sacked 4treys in the first half; including 3 in a row for 12 points in thegame.

The Wolves opened the second half with a 20-3 run to put thisgame away. Sophomore guards Ledell Eackles and Dexter Middletoncombined for 12 points in the spurt. Sophomore Lamar Hall, olderbrother of Jasper Hall, helped spark the spurt and finished with 8points.

Eackles paced Co-Lin with 19 points and 4 assists, whileMiddleton added 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

Gray paced the Eagles with 20 points, 3 steals and 2 assists.Robert Johnson and Stanley Turner had 11 points apiece.

Lending support for the Wolfpack was Brandon Caston with 10points and 6 assists. Tremaine Enoch and Holliday led off thebackboards with 6 caroms apiece.

Each team committed 14 turnovers, but Co-Lin won the reboundingbattle 38-25. The Wolves had 23 assists.