Basketball is back at GC&SU

Women’s Basketball

The Georgia College & State University Lady Bobcats will look to improve upon last season’s 19-12 finish, which included winning the Peach Belt Conference tournament and earning a bid to the NCAA tournament, where they lost 74-56 to North Carolina Central University in the first round.

One of the main reasons for the Lady Bobcats success last year was senior center Dalana Watson, who said that their run towards a championship was unexpected.

“Nobody expected us to have a good season, but we came on strong during the postseason, and I think we surprised everybody and came together as a team,” Watson said.

Watson believes that team unity will be one of the keys to success for the 2002-03 edition of the Lady Bobcats.

“We’ve got good team unity; we don’t have a lot of [negative] attitudes,” Watson said. “The most important thing having a [good] team is getting along, and everybody coming together and playing as one.”

Junior guard Breane Haggard described winning the PBC tournament
title as a tremendous feeling.

“[Winning the title] was one of the most memorable events that I’ve had in sports, and it was great,” Haggard said. “It was wonderful to actually be able to accomplish that goal.”

Haggard would also like to see her team defend its title and return to the NCAA tournament.

“We’re working hard everyday at practice, with that in mind, that we want to return [to the NCAA's],” Haggard said. “As long as we keep working hard and practice like we are, we’ve got a very good shot again.”

Assistant coach Jonathan Barbaree talked about the parity of the Peach Belt Conference, and the fact that any team could win any given night.

“[The PBC] is tough,” Barbaree said. “There are a lot of transfers, and a lot of new recruits from each program. Everybody improved, and it’s going to be a battle again to see what these teams are going to do.”

The GC&SU women open their season one week from tonight against
preseason ranked number five Glennville State University (W.Va.) in the Holiday Inn Express Classic at Kennesaw State University Nov. 22, followed by a game against Presbyterian College (SC) the next day.

The first home game is Monday, Dec. 2 against Miles College.

Men’s Basketball

With eight new players suiting up for the GC&SU Bobcats this season, head coach Terry Sellers hopes to improve on last year’s 15-12 record, which ended with a 71-66 loss to Lander in the first round of the Peach Belt Conference tournament.

The Bobcats also have a new assistant coach this season in Aundray Wright, who played his college basketball at Shawnee Community College (Ill.) and Division I Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
before beginning his high school career in that same town. Last season, Wright was an assistant coach at the California University of
Pennsylvania, where he helped lead the Vulcans to a 23-6 record.

So far, Wright has enjoyed the experience of working with Coach Sellers.

“I’ve learned from Coach Sellers, and I’ve definitely learned how intense you want your teams to play,” Wright said. “He’s a good defensive coach, is very versatile and offers a lot for you.”

Jason Gant, one of many new players on the Bobcat squad, said his family played a major role in where he would finish his collegiate career.

“I had a lot of schools looking at me, but me and my family felt [GC&SU] was the best opportunity,” he said.

Gant played at New Mexico Junior College before transferring to GC&SU. He compares his junior college experience to playing for GC&SU.

“(NMJC) is real small, but I made it through,” Gant said “We had a close team, so everything was good because we got along real well. It was like one big family.”

As for the intensity of play at GC&SU, Gant replied, “It’s a little bit more strenuous than JUCO, but I’m getting used to it.”

One of three seniors on this year’s GC&SU team, Roosevelt Whitney has high hopes for the 2002-03 Bobcats.

“We’ve got big expectations for this season, and we want to break a few records, win the Peach Belt Championship and even go on to the national tournament,” Whitney said. “We want to put our all into practice, because that’s where it all starts.”

Wright believes that teamwork will be the major key to the Bobcats hopes this season.

“I think we can win the conference, and we have the ability and personnel,” Wright said. “But we’re not going to out-talent anybody. We have to play smart, and if we can do those things, we can win the (PBC).”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Nov 15 2002. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry