Women's Basketball Team Opens Season (continued)
While the Lady Hawks may be short on experience, Coach Smith’s crew has plenty of talent. Two of her newcomers played collegiate ball during the 2009-10 season. Danielle Henderson transferred from Converse College in Spartanburg, SC where she played under the leadership of Coach Tincher.
“Danielle is very athletic, is an excellent shooter and can finish strong at the basket.” She is so explosive around the basket and can also shoot the 3-pointer. She will cause match up problems for our opponents, which is a plus for us", said Smith.
Suzie Ashford transferred from Carl Albert Community College in Oklahoma and is from Australia. She has experience at both the collegiate and international level. “Suzie provides great leadership both on and off the court and is one of our best defenders”, said Smith. “She also has a great understanding of the game and will be a great asset to our program.”
Three of our players are not new to TCTC but are new to collegiate basketball. Shakina Harris is a stand-out player from D.W. Daniel High School where she was instrumental in helping Daniel win the Western AAA Region title. "Shakina has a great knowledge for the game. She does all of those little things that is necessary to win games. She can penetrate, pass well, and has a great perimeter shot. I am blessed to have her on the team", said Smith.
Jessica Epps played her high school ball at Easley High School. "Jessica is strong around the basket and can create scoring opportunities for herself and her teammates. She has the potential to be a strong contributor to our program", said Smith.
Tricia Lego played for Liberty High School where she earned best defensive player and All-Region her senior year. "Tricia is a very good player. She is certainly deserving of being considered a great defender. She is definitely going to play an important role for our team", said Smith.
Seven freshmen, who were very competitive at their respective high schools, complete the Lady Hawks roster. Alishia Kahan, point guard from Jacksonville, FL, played her high school career at Andrew Jackson High School. "Alishia is a great asset to the team. She handles the ball well, has the ability to create scoring opportunities for her teammates, and has exceptional range from the 3-point arc and beyond" said Smith.
Shemicka Smith, who is from Wendall, NC and Tessa Lumpkins, who is from Knightdale, NC, both played their high school careers at Knightdale High School. "Shemicka is very athletic and can play both the guard and forward position. She was awarded as the Best Female Athlete her senior year. She has the potential to be a dominant force for our region" said Smith. “Tessa has excellent post moves and can finish strong around the basket. She also has a very good perimeter shot. I am expecting great things from Tessa" said Smith.
Kourtney Patterson is from Greenville, SC and played at Berea High School. She can play both the point and shooting guard positions. "I was thrilled that she decided to attend Tri-County because she has the potential to be a great player for our team. She can handle the ball well and her ability to penetrate will cause major issues for our opponents, which is great for us" said Smith.
Keyana Patterson is from Pelzer and played at Wren High School. "Keyana is a very exciting player. She is one of our best defensive players and her energy is contagious. She runs the floor well, can get into the paint with little effort, and is a very strong rebounder. I am glad she decided to stay close to home" said Smith.
Cassandra Heyward is from Ridgeland, SC. She plays point guard and finished her high school career at Ridgeland High School. "I am so glad one of Cassandra's coaches called me to let me know about her. She is our smallest player but don't let the height fool you. Cassandra is tenacious on defense and is not afraid to take her opponent into the paint and finish strong at the rim. She will certainly be a strong player for our team" said Smith.
Allison Moore rounds out the Lady Hawks freshman members. Allison is from Salem, SC and played forward for Tamasse-Salem High School. "Allison is strong and a player who can dominate the boards. She specializes in boxing out and keeping her opponents out of her area. She is going to get a lot of rebounds for our team" said Smith. She has seen limited action due to an injury but will play in her first game when TCTC takes on Louisburg Community College on Sunday, November 14 at 1:00 pm at the Central-Clemson Indoor Recreation Center. Afterwards, TCTC will hit the road on November 18 and 19 to play Middle Georgia and Denmark Technical College.
The Lady Hawks home games will be played at Tysinger Gymnasium, at Southern Wesleyan University in Central, SC with the exception of two games being held on Sunday, November 14 and January 23. Those games will be played at the Central-Clemson Recreation Center. TCTC and the Lady Hawks welcome the community to come out and support the team and witness history in the making. All home games are free and schedules can be found on this website.