Women's Basketball opens this season on Sunday, Nov. 3 at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Ala. excited to start their quest to put together a competitive season after an offseason filled with hard work and preparation.
The Lady Cougars put together an 8-17 campaign last season and went 6-10 in the TCCAA. They suffered a tough loss to second-seeded Motlow State in the TCCAA Tournament in Cleveland, Tenn. last March in a very tightly contested 77-72 game.
Cleveland State will return four sophomores, including Charisma Barner, Michaela Bennefield, Za'kkria Robinson, and last year's All-TCCAA first team member Britnay Gore. Head Coach Evelyn Thompson gushed about the leadership this group will bring to the table.
"[Our success will begin] with the maturity, focus, and leadership from our sophomores," Thompson said. "They have bought into the championship culture that leads to success on and off of the court. They also lead the way in all of our community service and engagement. It has been such a pleasure watching them grow and become vested in the success of our program. They have a great sense of purpose and urgency. They want to win a championship."
The Lady Cougars will also feature a load of new freshman faces, six in total, that will get the chance to make a significant impact. "We recruited like-minded freshmen. Everyone [will play] an important role whether [they] are a starter or someone who plays limited minutes," Thompson said of the team as a whole. "I expect to see each woman involved in our program to be a better basketball player by the end of the season, but more importantly, I expect them all to be better people, better students, and better in every aspect of their lives."
Of the incoming players in her recruiting class, Thompson was especially excited to see what Asjah Harrell from Perry High School in Perry, Ga. will showcase in her freshman campaign. "She is an exceptional playmaker," said Thompson. "She is a leader. She is a competitor. She knows the point guard and shooting guard position… She has the potential to be the best player in the conference."
When asked about the biggest obstacle she expected squad to face, Thompson relayed that hoped to see her team avoid the injury bug that plagued their team last season. "Our biggest challenge will be keeping everyone healthy," she said. "That was our biggest challenge last year. I am really focused on making sure we have enough days off, a strong emphasis on proper nutrition, constant communication with our training staff, and focused weight training and conditioning."
Fans can catch the Lady Cougars in action for the first time on their home floor on Tuesday, Nov. 5 as they welcome Snead State at 5:30 ET in the home opener.
For more updates on the 2019-2020 Cleveland State Women's Basketball season, stay tuned to cscougars.com.
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