Experience guides ACC women

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Sports

November 1, 2012 - 12:00 AM

When preseason voters considered Allen Community College women’s hopes in 2011-12, they weren’t too optimistic.
With a group of newcomers for a team coming off 3-27 season the year prior, and a new coach to boot, most figured the Red Devils would struggle. Allen was picked at the bottom of the Jayhawk Conference.But when Mark James’ squad, consisting primarily of freshmen, took to the court, they did so with a up-tempo style, a frenetic defense and a bit of an attitude.“We played with a chip on our shoulder,” James said. “We didn’t like being picked that low.”A four-game winning streak late in the season propelled Allen into the Region VI playoffs.This year, the Red Devils have been predicted to finish fifth in conference play, significantly higher than they’ve been picked in the past several years.“People around campus have noticed,” James said. “They’ve seen the improvement.”But here’s the rub.Despite the improved outlook, Neither James, nor his players, like it.“The only people who weren’t happy about our preseason vote were the 15 players in our locker room and their coach,” he said.The Red Devils’ expectations should be higher, James said..“We’re gonna use this as motivation,” he said. ‘We’re a competitive bunch.”

MUCH of the basis for the optimistic approach comes from experience.The 2012-13 Red Devil squad features  10 sophomores — nine returning from last year — with a crop of talented freshmen, including one familiar face to locals, Iolan Kendra Taiclet.Leading the way for the Red Devils will be the tandem of Miracle Davis and DaNara Day.In her freshman campaign, Davis served as Allen’s starting point guard, handing out seven assists per game, which ranked her fourth in the country.“We’re expecting big things out of Miracle this year,” James said. “At 5-10, she’s got good size for the point guard.”And while the Tulsa native usually looks to set up her teammates first, she was the Red Devils’ second-leading scorer at 7.7 points per game in 2011-12. Davis also averaged 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 steals.A primary target for Davis’ passes will be Day, a 5-5 sophomore transfer from Seminole State. Also a Tulsa native — one of five Red Devils who hail from “The Oil Capital Of The World” — all Day did was score 28 points in the first half of a scrimmage last week in Bartlesville, Okla.“DaNara is a good shooter,” James said, “but she can also get to the rim if you try to defend her too closely. While Miracle is a dish-first point guard, DaNara has more of a scorer’s mentality.”

IT’S HARDLY a two-player show.Hannah Blackwell averaged more than six rebounds a game last year — more than half of which came on the offensive end — and will do much of the dirty work inside, James said.“She defends anybody I ask her to defend,” he said. “A lot of her points will come from her rebounding. She’s a very unselfish player. She does everything that needs to be done for us to succeed as a team.”Blackwell, 5-9, averaged 4.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and one steal a game last year. She played her high school basketball in Fredonia.Meanwhile, guard Ebonie Jones offers Allen a flash of speed from the guard position, which may be matched only by her competitiveness, James said.“It took a while last year for our styles to mesh,” he said. “She’s so used to pushing the ball, and she struggled a bit when we put her in the structure of our offense.”Jones also became the Red Devils’ most improved player by season’s end, James said, averaging 6.8 points a game.

KAYLA MORTON, a 5-8 sophomore from Mulvane, averaged 5 1/2 points a game last year before her season was curtailed by back injuries.“Kayla’s athletic and long,” James said “She may be one of our toughest players. Even with the injuries, I’ve never heard her complain.”Jamie Peel, another Tulsan, offers Allen its most versatile player, James said.“She can defend 1 through 5,” James said “She began last year as our starter, but eventually started coming off the bench. It wound up that she liked coming off the bench.”The 5-10 Peel averaged 6.8 points and 4.6 rebounds a game.Another key reserve for the Red Devils this year will be 5-5 Topeka sophomore Brittney Redmond, whose shooting stroke rivals anybody’s on the roster, James said.“When she gets in a rhythm, she can provide instant offense,” he said. “We expect her to be a big contributor.”

MAGGIE STITHEM, a 5-3 sophomore from Hoyt, is one of the team’s best pure shooters. “She’s really worked hard on moving without the ball,” James said. Stithem averaged 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds a contest in 2011-12.
Johnnea Saulsberry’s work ethic pays off in several ways, James said.
A 5-4 sophomore from Pleasanton, Saulsberry “isn’t the most athletic player, but she always seems to find the ball. I wish the coaches could take credit for it, but she just has that knack.”
Endesha Flanigan, 5-10 and from Independence, exemplifies Allen’s blue-collar approach, James said.
“She didn’t play a lot of high school ball, and she wasn’t highly recruited,” he said. “She defends very well and gives us a big body inside, something we don’t have a lot of. She plays with a chip on her shoulder, which we need.”

HIGHLIGHTING the incoming freshman class is the 5-9 Iola standout Taiclet, who led Iola High’s Fillies in rebounding last season and was named honorable mention all-state Class 4A squad.“I had high expectations for Kendra when she arrived here, and she’s exceeded all of them,” James said. “When you have kids coming in as freshmen, you never know if they’re college-ready. With Kendra, there was no hesitation. She never complained about anything. She just jumped right into the action.”Taiclet injured her knee in the preseason, and may be slowed as the season begins, James said.“We want to get her healthy,” he said.Leslie Weir is a 5-3 redshirt freshman from Tulsa.“She’s been around the program. She could have played last year, but wanted to focus on academics,” James said. “She’s fun to watch from an offensive standpoint. Defensively, she needs a little work.”Taylor Seward, a 5-10 freshman from Frontenac, offers the Red Devils depth inside.“She’s a legit 5-10 and she shoots the ball well,” James said. “She’s struggled a bit in practice to get adapted to the college game. But she jumped right in during our two preseason scrimmages. We expect her to contribute.”Ronesha Hall is a 5-11 freshman from Tulsa, who also has had to adjust to James’ up-tempo system.“She’s a tough, physical player, who is deceptively fast,” he said. “She can get up and down the floor.”Kylie Molisee will be a valuable low post defender, James said. At 5-11, the Deck native should be able to fight for rebounds, “which is key in our conference.”

INDEPENDENCE and Coffeyville community colleges look to be the favorites in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division this year, James said. Cowley County will be a force to be reckoned with in the western half of the state.“We’re going to go all out against everybody we play,” James said. “We will be a team that’s fun to watch.”

Allen Community College
2012-2013
Women’s Basketball Schedule
Nov. 1 — Oklahoma Wesleyan, 1 p.m.
Nov. 3 — North Central Missouri, 2 p.m.
Nov. 6. — Butler County, 5:30 p.m.
Nov. 13 — Pratt, 6 p.m.
Nov. 16 — Dodge City Classic
Dodge City, 6 p.m.
Nov. 17 — Dodge City Classic
Garden City, 2 p.m.
Nov. 20 — Butler County, 6 p.m.
Nov. 27 — Rhema College, 5:30 p.m.
Nov. 28 — North Central Missouri, 6 p.m.
Dec. 1 — Central Christian College, 2 p.m.
Dec. 5 — Pratt, 6 p.m.
Dec. 8 — Hesston, 2 p.m.
Jan. 5 — Highland, 2 p.m.
Jan. 9 — Independence, 6 p.m.
Jan. 12 — Fort Scott  p.m.
Jan. 16 — Neosho County, 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 19 — Coffeyville, 2 p.m.
Jan. 21 — Labette, 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 23 — Kansas City, Kan., 5 p.m.
Jan. 26 — Cowley County, 2 p.m.
Jan. 30 — Johnson County, 6 p.m.
Feb. 2 — Highland, 1 p.m.
Feb. 6 — Independence, 5 p.m.
Feb. 9 — Fort Scott, 2 p.m.
Feb. 13 — Neosho County, 6 p.m.
Feb. 16 — Coffeyville, 5 p.m.
Feb. 18 — Labette, 6 p.m.
Feb. 20 — Kansas City, Kan., 6 p.m.
Feb. 23 — Cowley County, 5 p.m.
Feb. 27 — Johnson County, 5:30 p.m.
March 5 — Region VI Tournament
March 8-11 — Region VI Tournament
March 19-23 — NJCAA National Tournament
Home games in bold

Allen Community College
2012-2013
Women’s Basketball Roster
No.    Name    Height    Pos.    Class    Hometown
1    Ebonie Jones    5-4    So.    Houston, Texas
2    Johnnea Saulsberry    5-4    So.    Pleasanton
3    Maggie Stithem    5-3    So.    Hoyt
5    Miracle Davis    5-10    So.    Tulsa, Okla.
10    Kayla Morton    5-8    So.    Mulvane
12    DaNara Day    5-5    So.    Tulsa, Okla.
13    Endesha Flanigan    5-10    So.    Independence
14    Brittney Redmond    5-5    So.    Topeka
20    Jamie Peel    5-10    So.    Tulsa, Okla.
22    Kendra Taiclet    5-8    Fr.    Iola
23    Leslie Ware    5-3    Fr.    Tulsa, Okla.
24    Taylor Seward    5-10    Fr.    Frontenac
30    Hannah Blackwell    5-9    So.    Fredonia
32    Ronesha Hall    5-11    Fr.    Tulsa, Okla.
45    Kylie Molisee    5-11    Fr.    Deck
Head Coach: Mark James   
Assistant Coach: Aubrey Jones   

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