Four Bulldogs receive honors after Region XXIII Tournament

Four Holmes Community College Bulldogs including Head Coach Jason Flanigan received honors for their play in the 2021 NJCAA Region XXIII Tournament.

Sophomore guards Kaleb Higgins, Brandon Weatherspoon and Tyler Talley were named to the All-Tournament Team while Coach Flanigan was named Coach of the Year. The Bulldogs took the Region XXIII title Friday night in Clinton after knocking off the No. 2 seeded Northeast Mississippi Community College Tigers, 81-56. In the semifinals, the Bulldogs took down the No. 1 seeded Pearl River Community College Wildcats, 61-58. In the quarterfinals, Holmes defeated No. 4 seeded LSUE, 79-64, and No. 12 seeded Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, 96-89, in the second round.

Holmes will now play in the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas starting Monday, April 19. The opponent will be announced today at 6 p.m. by the NJCAA.

Higgins from Pine Bluff, Ark. leads the Bulldogs in scoring with a 19.9 per game average. In the Region XXIII Tournament games, he scored 23 vs. Gulf Coast, 18 vs. LSUE, 26 vs. Pearl River and 14 vs. Northeast in the championship game. Weatherspoon from Canton averaged 15.9 points per game during the season. In the Region XXIII Tournament games, he scored 20 vs. Gulf Coast, 28 vs. LSUE, 6 vs. Pearl River and 22 vs. Northeast in the championship game. Talley from Starkville averaged 8.8 points per game. In the Region XXIII Tournament games, he scored 17 points vs. Gulf Coast, 12 vs. LSUE, 7 vs. Pearl River and 20 vs. Northeast in the championship game.

Flanigan was named Region XXIII Coach of the Year for the third time after the championship game. He led the Bulldogs to the NJCAA National Tournament in 2015 and 2018.