Bio

Edna Purvis Ward

Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College (1976-1978) / Basketball
Lucedale, Mississippi

Edna Purvis Ward, among others, can lay claim to the title of the greatest female athlete in Gulf Coast history. She was a star for the Lady Bulldogs basketball team in 1976-77 and 1977-78, leading the team to the Mississippi Association of Junior and Community Colleges South Division, state and NJCAA Region VII championship as a freshman. She made the All-Conference and All-State teams twice, followed by an All-Region team and honorable mention for All-American as a sophomore. Ward helped the Lady Bulldogs finish seventh at the 1977 NJCAA Tournament, sinking a then-record 11 consecutive free throws in one game. She was a registered nurse at George County Hospital in 2001.