Head coach Tisha England’s (far right, second row) sixth team at Catawba Valley Community College has seven freshmen on the roster and is coming off a 26-6 record./PHOTO BY CODY DALTON, CATAWBA VALLEY ATHLETICS
HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – Tisha England’s sixth season as head women’s basketball coach at Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) kicks off on Thursday night with seven freshmen on the roster.
The Red Hawks were a record-setting 26-6 last season, playing primarily sophomores, and they open the new season on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on the road against Montreat College’s junior varsity.
CVCC’S SCHEDULE: http://gocvcc.com/sports/wbkb/2018-19/schedule
CVCC’S ROSTER: http://gocvcc.com/sports/wbkb/2018-19/roster
ENGLAND
“I’m excited for a new year and new journey,” England said in a CVCC preseason press release. “The girls are working hard, but we can always work harder to get where we need to be.
“We are in the process right now of getting that discipline and making sure that we understand the game of basketball and work together as a team.
“I’m looking forward to our first game. We’ve had a lot of scrimmages, but we still want to be able to push forward to the games and see what we are really about.”
CVCC has 14 players this season, including three sophomore transfers.
“I’m starting back over,” England said in the press release. “I have three transfers, but I look at them as freshmen because they don’t know my system.
“In the classroom last year, we did a remarkable job. They understood the game and understood what they wanted, which was to win and to be successful.
“This group is different, but I like different. It’s a challenge, and we’re going to work hard to accomplish our goals.”
The Red Hawks have four returning sophomores — center Zharia Brown, forward Kanijah King-Cooper and guards Alizeyah Mitchell and Nicole Lyerly.
Brown, a 6-foot-1 center from Charlotte, averaged 12 points and 8.4 rebounds last season, and she is already garnering attention from a number of four-year schools.
“She is probably one of most highly recruiting players as a sophomore coming back,” England said. “She has a presence on the court — not just being big, but she can also shoot a little outside.
“She played in a lot of games last year. She knew the competitiveness of our league and our conference.”
England has also been pleased with Mitchell and Lyerly and what they bring to the table as sophomore leaders.
“Alizeyah and Nicole are two quick guards who are seasoned players,” she said. “They are smart and understand the game.”
King-Cooper will try return to the court in early 2019 following a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and surgery late last season.
“Hopefully, we can get her back later in the season,” England said.
All three of the Red Hawks’ sophomore transfers — Sherry Johnson, Milequa Eason and Danielle Rainey — have experience in Region X play. Each transferred from a rival school in CVCC’s conference.
“They all bring something different to the table, but they all want the same thing that we have, which is the success,” England said. “Sherry Johnson, who transferred from Guilford Tech, is a very seasoned player. We call her the ‘silent assassin.’ She works well. She can rebound and shoot. She brings a lot of wisdom to the team.
Milequa Eason from Louisburg is a defensive specialist. Her defense is very intense. Danielle Rainey from Cape Fear is a slasher who wants to go to the hole.”
England said the biggest challenge for the Red Hawks’ younger players has been adapting to playing at the next level.
“They are all trying to adjust to the game,” England said. “From high school to college, the pace is so much quicker. Kids are taller. They are bigger and stronger.
“I think they all can bring a great impact to the team. That’s why I have them here, which is to put their spice in with our other spices to make a beautiful cake out of it.”
England has tried to test her team in the preseason, playing games against NCAA Division II Lenoir-Rhyne and also playing at a scrimmage in Chicago.
England believes the trip to the “Windy City” will be beneficial long-term for her group.
“We played three games in one day,” she said. “That was gruesome. The kids have to understand that you always have to be ready, whether it’s a morning game or night game. They have to be ready to experience different types of talent that’s all around the world.
“I think it was a great life-changing experience for all of them — not just on the basketball court, but outside of basketball. Each day we are getting better. Each time we scrimmage, we try to learn from our mistakes.”
The Red Hawks enter this season ranked 16th in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II preseason poll — the first time the program has earned a preseason national ranking since 2013.
England believes expectations come with such a high honor.
“Hands down there is pressure,” she said. “This has been a long time coming. For me, I think we should be ranked every year. I’m excited to be ranked, and I know there’s a lot of pressure. We’ve just got to learn how to overcome it.”
- Reported by CVCC Sports Information