CLINTON — Erica Trahan became Co-Lin’s chairman of the boardsWednesday in the semifinals of the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament.Trahan pulled down 20 rebounds and scored a game-high 17 points,directing the Lady Wolves to a hard-fought, 70-58 win over theSouthern University-Shreveport Lady Jaguars.

Co-Lin (20-7) meets Northeast Community College tonight at 6p.m. in A.E. Wood Coliseum on the Mississippi College campus. Theregion champion advances to the NJCAA National Tournament atSalina, Kan.

Northeast blasted Northwest 89-64 in yesterday’s othersemifinals game. Northeast beat Co-Lin 86-73 last Thursday night inthe MACJC State Tournament finals at Senatobia.

Trahan, a strong 5-foot-10 freshman from Baton Rouge(Broadmoor), came off the bench midway through the first half tospark the Lady Wolves past Southern-Shreveport. At that point theLady Wolves were staring at a 12-5 deficit after missing theirfirst 7 field goal attempts of the game.

“Coach (Gwyn Young) wanted me to rebound,” said Trahan. “Comingoff the bench doesn’t bother me. That’s what I did in high school.I have a job to do.”

Trahan said Co-Lin has a habit of starting slow. “Our teamusually starts slow. We have to outhustle the other team in thesecond half.”

Trahan’s boardwork was instrumental against a scrappy,high-energy team from Shreveport. The Lady Jaguars used a stickyman-to-man defense to push Co-Lin out of its game plan.

Coach Young said he hoped his team’s depth and superiorrebounding would overcome the Lady Jaguars. “I knew they would comeout hard and put pressure on us. I was hoping we would wear themdown. They played hard on defense.

“Erica Trahan and Corissa Tillman did a good job for us.”

Tillman, working at point guard, scored 11 points in a reliefrole. Playmaker Nikki Williams added 10 points, scoring 6 in thelast 7 minutes of the game.

Williams scored back-to-back short jumpers in the last 2 minutesas the Lady Jaguars tried full-court pressure to regain the lead.Co-Lin had forged a 10-point, 49-39 lead on 2 free throws by Trahanand 10:36 left to play.

A driving layup by Southern’s Sheena Harding, plus a free throw,had pulled her team within 2 points, 59-57, with 3:55 left to play.Tillman responded with a short jumper off an assist from Trahanbefore Williams hit 2 straight field goals.

Dominique Whitfield followed Trahan with 12 rebounds. Co-Linclaimed a 50-28 rebounding advantage.

Whitney Beavers, a 5-7 sophomore from Baton Rouge (Broadmoor),led the Lady Jaguars (19-12) with 16 points. Sheena Harding, a 5-10sophomore from New Iberia, La., grabbed 7 rebounds for Coach PaulaLee’s team.