Women’s Basketball Looking to Build Upon Past Success
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Community Christian College | 14 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 52 |
|
Mesa Community College | 14 | 26 | 34 | 22 | 96 |
Community Christian College
| Game Statistics | Community Christian College | Mesa Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (13-49) | (40-85) |
| Field Goal % | 26.5% | 47.1% |
| Rebounds | 29 | 43 |
| Assists | 5 | 27 |
| Turnovers | 29 | 10 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 10 | 28 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 0 | 19 |
| Pts in the Paint | 18 | 52 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 4 | 26 |
| Bench Pts | 9 | 45 |
Tuesday, November 8, 2022 - 8:20 am | Dylan Kessler
The following preview story was written by Keythin Thomas of the Mesa Legend.
After taking the regional championship last season, the Mesa Community College women's basketball team looks to pick up right where they left off this upcoming season.
There's plenty to talk about in regards to last season's accolades. A 23-9 record, the aforementioned regional title, the seventh under head coach Kori Stephenson, and a trip to the NJCAA championship tournament are no small feats.
Assistant coach Sam Stevens spoke about last season with high praise, and mentioned that one of the biggest things was getting back on the court for the first time since the pandemic started. "Being able to work with our kids after we had a year off from COVID, just reconnecting with people again", coach Stevens stated in regards to the best part about last season.
Stevens said, "Obviously winning the regional championship and making it to the national tournament was memorable because we had it taken away from us the year prior. To be able to come back and be successful in our division to go back to nationals from the ACCAC Division II, I think that was pretty significant."
However, as with any successful team, the Lady Thunderbirds must not dwell on their past success. With a new season, comes new goals, new hopes, and new opportunities. "The good thing is we returned nine people from that team, so we didn't lose a whole lot," Roberts noted. "We've got a lot of experience, so the expectation level is very high."
Perhaps that specifically is why MCC is ranked so highly heading into the 2022-23 campaign. On October 19, the NJCAA released their Preseason National Coaches Poll, which placed the Lady Thunderbirds No. 8 overall.
Players like Mykah Anderson, one of the returning players from last season, will be crucial in living up to that ranking. On top of being one of MCC's best defensive players, she was also second in scoring on the team, averaging 10.5 points per game. She will have big shoes to fill considering the graduation of Jayla Johnson, one of the top players in the country last season, but that is where her teammates will also play a huge part in helping them replicate that success.
Returning sophomores like Love Troupe, Taylor Tiulana, and Zari Watkins will be called upon to play big roles in the upcoming season. Along with the nine returning players from last season presumably comes the stout defense that won them so many games.
The team allowed just 56.3 points per game on just 32.5 percent shooting, while also tallying almost ten steals a game and 3.5 blocks a game. Again, one of the key factors to their success as a team.
If there was anything to critique about MCC, though, it would be the offense. The team averaged 65.5 points per game on 37 percent shooting, and scored just enough to allow their defense to win games.
But in comparison to some of the other top teams in the country, that was the one flaw in their game. For example, Kirkwood, who is the No. 4 ranked team, averaged 78 points per game last season.
The No. 3 ranked team, CCBC Essex, a team that beat Mesa last season in the NJCAA tournament 72-50, averaged 86 points per game.
Coach Stevens wants this season to be more of a well-rounded approach to the game by keeping the intensity on defense, but also adding more to that offensive attack. "I think that we have more offensive firepower, but we have the speed and athleticism to play some really tough defense," coach Stevens explained, "We're gonna be swiss army knives this year."
The Lady Thunderbird's season tips off on Nov. 8 at home against Community Christian College (CA). Click HERE to view the live stream.
Click here for LIVE STATS
Click here for Game Notes