By Benny Rogers/TVCC Sports Information
Later than others, the No. 2-ranked Trinity Valley Community College Lady Cardinals will finally open the 2015-16 basketball season Friday.
Second-year head coach Gerald Ewing and his squad head west to compete in the two-day Clarendon Classic. The Lady Cardinals are scheduled to face Southwest Texas at 2 p.m. Friday and host Clarendon at 5 p.m. Saturday.
“I am expecting us to be more competitive than we were last year,” Ewing said. “This group is very energetic and will play with great passion.
“These 13 young ladies have a chance to be special and do something very special here at TVCC.”
The Lady Cardinals head into the season having won an eighth straight regional title and finished third at the national tournament last year, going 32-4.
Four players are back from that squad: Maya Singleton (6-0, F, Indian Head, MD), Dajhae Mullins (5-9, G, Chicago, IL), Charisma Matlock (5-10, G, Dallas) and Alicia Washington (5-8, G, Dallas). Washington missed the final 27 games last year with an injury. The sophomore quartet is joined by UT-Pan American transfer Troi Swain (5-7, G, Austin).
Eight talented freshman round out the roster: Christalah Lyons (5-6, G, Dallas), Noell Kellers (5-6, G, Scottsdale, AZ), Naomi Davenport (6-0, G/F, Cincinnati, OH), Malayasia McHenry (6-1, F, Detroit, MI), Leah Mathis (6-1, F, Detroit, MI), Khady Toure (6-4, F, Sengal), Rainey Kuykendall (6-1, F, Chicago, IL) and Oumy Ndoye (5-10, G, Sengal).
The Lady Cardinals are scheduled to head west again next week, competing Thursday-Friday in the annual WNIT Tournament at Midland College. They open against Garden City (Kan.) and will play either Odessa or Salt Lake (Utah) in the second round. Also competing in the tournament is McLennan, Iowa Western, Mesa and host Midland.
Region XIV Conference action is set to begin Tuesday, Nov. 24, at Blinn.
The Lady Cardinals’ home opener is scheduled Friday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. against Arkansas Baptist in the first day of the Budke/Serna Thanksgiving Classic. They will take on Hill at 4 p.m. the next day.
The Lady Cardinals bring a 68-game home winning streak into the season.
“We are ready to get the season started,” Ewing said. “We’ve had some injuries we’ve been dealing with, so the delayed start to the season turned out to be a positive thing.”