The women’s basketball team ended their season on a winning streak of four games and overall won 26 games and only lost three. In their most recent games, they won on Jan. 29 vs Olney Central with 70-53, won on Feb. 1 vs Shawnee with 55-39, lost on Feb. 5 vs Wabash Valley with 67-54, won on Feb. 8 vs John A. Logan with 84-45, won on Feb. 12 vs Kaskaskia with 87-53, won on Feb. 15 vs Southeastern Illinois with 82-67, and won on Feb. 24 against Southwestern with 82-44.
In the National Junior College Athletic Association, NJCAA, the team placed eleventh overall in the number of games they played, first in opponents’ 3 point percentage with 21.9, fourth in points per game allowed with 51.7, eighth in personal fouls per game with 2, ninth in assists per game with 18.1, twentieth in points overall with 2,115 and sixteenth in 3 point shots made per game with 7.2. Overall the team had 72.9 points per game average and 39.4 rebounds per game.
On the team there are eight guards: Arie Sims the only sophomore guard from Normal, Ill., Carsyn Fearday from Effingham, Ill., Harley Barry from Newman, Ill., Kamaria Gant from Bloomington, Ill., Aubrey Barker from Plainfield, Ind., Abigayle Weis from Effingham, Ill., Jae Lynn Riggleman from Casey, Ill., and Shaina Schoonover from Pana, Ill.. There are seven forwards: Lucille Smith one of two sophomore forwards from Wayne City, Ill., JoAnna Schultz from Altamont, Ill., Josie Orris from Sullivan, Ill., Mya Tinsley from Colfax, Ill., Elizabeth Buescher from Charleston, Ill., Baylee Breedlove the second sophomore forward from Rockville, Ind., and Tre’soir Newson from Normal, Ill.
Individually in the overall statistics from NJCAA, several players did well. Arie Sims played for 125 minutes throughout the season, scored 280 points, and assisted 91 times. Carsyn Fearday played for 123 minutes, scored 448 points, assisted 72 times, rebounded 133 times and had a free throw success rate of 75.4 percent. Harley Barry played for 67 minutes, scored 144 points, assisted 75 times and rebounded 126 times. Kamaria Gant played for 58 minutes, scored 185 points and had a free throw success rate of 70.4 percent. Abigayle Weis played for 110 minutes and scored 316 points. Shaina Schoonover played for 73 minutes and scored 150 points. Tre’soir Newson played for 114 minutes, scored 164 points, assisted 94 times, and rebounded 204 times.
Looking back on the women’s basketball season, it is clear these ladies did an outstanding job, and I can’t wait to see how the returning players do in the 2020-2021 season.