Last season the women’s basketball team finished eighth in the National Championship Tournament and hopes to return again this season.
The NJCAA National Championship Tournament was played in East Peoria, Ill., at Central Community College. It was the first time Southeast Community College participated in the Tournament.
“We started at 14th out of 16 seats,” said Coach Vicki Wooton of the national tournament. “We finished our season last year at 23-7.”
Four players are returning for this season, and one of them was a starter last season. There are also several transfer students.
“So basically, we are working with a brand new team,” Wooton explained. “We have more height and more speed than last year, and the players have good ball handling. We have still to learn how the team chemistry works.”
The team goals for this year are to win conference and regional season championships, and the regional tournament and to get to district playoffs.
Wooton said the team’s key players are Makayla Jardner, Mesha Phillips and Destiny Whitehead.
Wooton also said one player has already been taken out for the season because of injury.
The first game is Friday, Nov. 2, and Saturday, Nov.3, at Central Community College playing Concordia JV and Midland JV.
The Storm’s first home game is Friday, Nov. 9, and Saturday, Nov. 10, for the Rhiannon Memorial Classic.
“The Rhiannon Memorial Classic is our way of honoring one of our outstanding academic and athletic students,” said Wooton of the tournament. In memory of Rhiannon Peak, an SCC student who died shortly after the National Championship Tournament last season.