Pronghorns set standard after breakthrough NJCAA national tournament season
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
14 | 24 | 23 | 18 | 79 |
|
|
28 | 12 | 25 | 25 | 90 |
Team Stats
Gulf Coast State College
| Game Statistics | Gillette College | Gulf Coast State College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (32-83) | (31-64) |
| Field Goal % | 38.6% | 48.4% |
| Rebounds | 40 | 34 |
| Assists | 15 | 17 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 12 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 19 | 20 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 13 | 7 |
| Pts in the Paint | 24 | 28 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 0 | 0 |
| Bench Pts | 16 | 6 |
A week removed from the whirlwind of making it to the NJCAA National Tournament for the first time in program history, the Gillette College women's basketball team returned to reality.
It was a successful trip to Lake Charles, Louisiana. Despite the 90-79 loss to Gulf State College, head coach Liz Lewis said it was an experience that she hopes will become routine.
"It was a lot of fun for sure, and it was a great experience for our girls and the competition," Lewis said. "I'm very proud of the way the girls represented Region IX and Gillette, and it was an experience that was hard to explain."
Even though their tournament ended with a round one loss, the Pronghorns were given the Alberta Lee Cox Sportsmanship Award, voted on by the staff and referees at the NJCAA Women's National Basketball Tournament, which recognized the team's display of outstanding professionalism.
Gillette College finished the season 24-11, its best record since athletics were brought back. Lewis said she didn't know at the start of the season how good the team was going to be.
"I don't think you ever really know," Lewis said. "Especially with the journey that we had, you never know with the adversity. I don't think you ever really know. For me, I am so focused on the everyday process. I am so focused on getting better every single day we step on the floor, and I don't want to think about what's ahead."
From the offseason injury to Kenlee Engelhardt to the midseason injuries to Addysyn Bayne and Meghna Vinodhram, the Pronghorns had to come together to get as far as they did.
Lina Ballin finished her outstanding freshman season leading the team with 16.8 points per game while shooting 42% from the field and 30.9% from the three-point line, and she also had 5 assists per game.
She had 13 games this season where she scored 20-plus points a game, including three 27-point games, her career-high this season.
The Pronghorns' leader off and on the court, sophomore Rochelle Afo-Manuma, started in all 35 games, averaging 14.7 points per game on 45.5% shooting while grabbing 9.1 rebounds.
There were times she had quiet performances where she may not have stood out on the stat sheet, but she always made an impact, including during the Pronghorns' run through the Region IX Tournament, where she averaged 16 points per game and 12 rebounds and had a double-double in every game of the tournament except for the round one win, where she ended with nine rebounds.
All four sophomores, Afo-Manuma, Danae Asiata, Kinsley Plewe, and Abbie Nickell, will look to transfer and continue their collegiate basketball careers.
Kiyarra Williams was one of the emerging freshmen for the Pronghorns all season, and when Bayne went down, Williams stepped up.
She averaged 12.8 points per game in her final 14 games, and against Gulf Coast State College, she finished with a team-high 22 points and 14 rebounds to lead Gillette College.
"I'm impressed with the fact that Kiyarra didn't back down," Lewis said. "I'm impressed with the fact that she battled the way that she did. And she is another one who just led the team in her actions and her words. She did a great job of getting the best out of everyone, and the growth that she has had from her very first game to the national tournament game has been unreal."
Liz credits the team's ability to coach themselves as one of the key turning points from last season's semifinal loss in the Region IX Tournament to them winning it all this season.