By Timothy Bold
The Scene staff
The STLCC Lady Archers go fully loaded into the Region 16 basketball tournament March 2 against Cottey College in Jefferson City, Mo. They have won 11 straight games, have a 24-3 record and are ranked fourth in NJCAA Division II.
Last season, an injury plagued team placed fifth in the national championships in Harrison, Ark. They’re aiming for more success this season with a more robust roster, clinching the No. 1 seed in the Region 16 tournament with a 72-61 victory Feb. 17 over Cottey College of Nevada, Mo.
After injuries left the roster with only seven players, it’s now at full strength, and sophomore point guard Ellisha Davis (Belleville East) loves the change.
“This season we’ve been playing the whole game strong,” she said. “Everyone brings something to the table. That’s what I like about our depth.”
The Lady Archers, 26-9 last season, have seven returning sophomores and six freshmen, including forward Chrishana Wilson (Gateway), who was named to the NJCAA All-America first team, averaging 17.1 points, 14.7 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game. She also broke the school’s rebounds record with 25 against Arkansas State Mid-South.
“This is a pretty special team,” said assistant coach Coleman Bender, who is in his first season. “They’ve still got to work hard and play for each other.”
The season started with a flurry as the team won its first 13 games, rising to as high as No. 3 in the country. Among the highlights was a braggin’ rights victory in the Lady Archers Classic at Forest Park against Southwestern Illinois.
A game Dec. 16 was the blowout of the season, when STLCC beat Harper College of Palatine, Ill., by 77 points — 104-27. “The game had to be played, and we didn’t feel good about beating them so bad,” Wilson said. “We just worked on our fundamentals and getting everyone a chance to play.”
In January, a trip to Florida started a three-game losing streak with defeats against Daytona State College 79-63 and Eastern Florida State College 75-68. Freshman forward Caprice Harrison remembers the trip well. “In Florida, both teams played much more aggressive, and we hadn’t seen that all season,” Harrison said.
After losing to undefeated Moberly Junior College 94-79 at home Jan. 9, the team went on a 10-game winning streak.
Against Moberly, “we started too slow against stiff competition,” said sophomore Andranae Wash (Cardinal Ritter).
The team’s offense has changed from last season to an up-tempo style, averaging 82.1 points a game. “We try to score in transition, wearing our opponents down,” Bender said.
Wilson added: “Our forwards can shoot long range, so we have another threat in our offense.”
The leading scorers are sophomores Wash and Wilson, 15 points a game; Davis, 12.3; and Kelsi York, 9.7. Leading the freshmen are forward Harrison, 8.7, and Simone Rodney, 8.6.
Coaches added something new to the team’s regimen: In sessions separate from practice, the guards work on their outside shooting by coming to the gym at 7 a.m. and taking 450 shots per week. The forwards work on their footwork and balance in the post. “We’re always on them about using your feet, creating space and offensive posture,” Bender said.
With the team’s depth, a man-to-man defense stresses pressuring the ball and is causing 16.3 turnovers, 12.6 steals 27.2 defensive rebounds per game. “We’re a much better team man-to-man because of our conditioning,” Wash said. “Playing zone, you stand around too much.”
Bender, a retired Army staff sergeant, is a new addition to coach Shelly Ethridge’s staff. He previously coached at Fayetteville Christian School and AAU in North Carolina. Ethridge is completing her sixth season with the Lady Archers.
In their final home game of the season Feb. 20 the Lady Archers went out in style with a 76-60 victory over Kaskaskia College of Centralia, Ill. They played from behind for most of the first half until Wilson converted a turnover into an end-to-end buzzer-beater layup. She led the team with 20 points and 15 rebounds.
The team ended the regular season with a dominating 100-63 victory over MCC-Penn Valley in Kansas City, Mo. Five players scored in double figures, led by Wilson’s 25 points and 19 rebounds.
Of the postseason Bender says, “It’s about surviving and advancing and nothing else.”
Sophomore point guard Erica Waelterman (Webster Groves) added, “Staying humble throughout this season has helped us get this far. I feel the team has a lot of confidence going into postseason play.”