LUBBOCK, TX – The Walters State women's basketball team is ready for their 18th NJCAA DI Women's Basketball Tournament appearance on Thursday afternoon against No. 11 Trinity Valley Community College.
The Lady Senators are the No. 22 seed in the tournament and are looking for their first tournament victory since March 18, 2019 when Walters State took down Miles Community College 65-47 in the opening round.
It is Walters State's 10th straight trip to the NJCAA Tournament, not including the 2020 tournament that was canceled.
Walters State finished the season at 19-6 overall. The Lady Senators went 14-1 in TCCAA play and clinched their spot in the national tournament with a 52-44 win over Cleveland State in the Region VII Championship game.
Walters State has been led all season by Kiera Hill. Hill was named the 2021-2022 TCCAA Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year after finishing the season averaging 19.1 points per game and 9.7 rebounds per game. Hill ranks 10th in the country in points per game and recorded 14 double-doubles on the season.
Along with Hill, Gemariona Hollingsworth and Ryann Woodley were named to the All-TCCAA First and Second Teams. While Woodley will not participate due to an injury, Hollingsworth is expected to play big minutes for Walters State on Thursday after finishing the season averaging 9.9 points per game.
With Woodley out in the Region VII Tournament, Maiya Reed, Matty Tanner and Rose Morrow all three stepped up and played big minutes for the Lady Senators on their way to the tournament win.
Jasmin Coleman is in her second year as head coach of the Lady Senators, taking them to the National Tournament both years. Coleman was named the 2022 TCCAA Coach of The Year.
The Lady Senators will go up against a Trinity Valley squad that finished the season at 25-6 and 14-4 in conference play. The Lady Cardinal are from Athens, TX and lost the Region XIV Championship game to Blinn College but were one of the eight at-large teams selected to the NJCAA Tournament.
Trinity Valley is led by their starting five that all average double digits per game. Abby Cater and Makiyah McCollister average 13.5 points per game while Kaila Kelley, Niyah Page and Briana Peguero all average around 12 points per game. Along with her 13 points per game, Cater averages 7.5 rebounds while Page averages 7.6 rebounds per game.
The Lady Cardinal racked up the postseason region awards as well. McCollister was named All-Conference, All-Region and Co-Freshman of the Year, Cater was named to the All-Conference and All-Region Tournament Team, Page was named All-Conference and All-Region, Kelley was named to the All-Region Tournament Team and Peguero was named and All-Conference Honorable Mention.
Thursday's game is set for 1 p.m. ET at the RIP Griffin Center. The winner will take on No. 6 Southern Idaho on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. You can watch the entire tournament on the NJCAA Network at https://www.njcaa.org/network/landing/index.
Rob Harvey
Walters State Community College
Sports Information Director
Cell: (423) 779-8880
Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu
Website: www.ws.edu/athletics