Women's basketball set to open season against Reinhardt
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – The Young Harris College women's basketball team will open their 2011-12 season Saturday (Nov. 12) with a 2 p.m. homecoming contest against Reinhardt University at the YHC Basketball Arena.
Tickets, which will be sold at the door, for game are $6 for adults and $3 for children ages 7-18. Links for live stats and video can be found on the department's website at www.yhcathletics.com.
Young Harris, which reinstated the basketball program last season, returns seven players – including four starters – from the team that went 11-13 in their inaugural campaign.
"We will have more players to step up and be examples," said head coach Brenda Paul. "We call them veterans as sophomores.
"We have depth this season in several positions," added Paul. "They may be freshmen, but they are talented players."
Leading the way for the Mountain Lions will be sophomore guards Lauren Smith and Breena Gleeson and sophomore forward Ladondra Johnson.
Johnson led the team in scoring (14.3 points per game) and rebounds (6.5 rebounds per game) to go along with her team-high 14 blocked shots. Smith was next for Young Harris in both categories – 11.9 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game – and was the top distributor of the basketball with 3.7 assists per game and recorded 55 steals. On the wing, Gleeson averaged 8.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists a year ago as she tallied 31 steals.
"They are the leaders for the team," said Paul. "They know and understand their roles this season."
Other returnees for the Mountain Lions include sophomores forward/center Lindsey Hammontree, guard/forward Miata Askew and forward Missy Conrad. Hammontree was second on the team with 4.5 rebounds per game and 10 blocked shots while averaging 3.7 points a contest. Askew averaged 4.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists a year ago while Conrad averaged 2.2 points and 3.8 rebounds for Young Harris.
The Mountain Lions have seven new players on the roster this season. Each started on teams that finished in the sweet 16, two were named region most valuable players and a pair played on state championship teams. The crop of newcomers possess great balance with two guards, three forwards and two post players.
Keta Robinette and Arielle Thomas are the new additions in the backcourt. Robinette was the all-time leading scorer – boys or girls – at Marion High School in Jasper, Tenn., with 2,210 points. She was a two-time All-State performer as well being the district and region Player of the Year twice. Thomas averaged 11.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.0 steals and 6.0 assists per game last season at North Clayton High School, which advanced to the sweet 16.
Shereese Williams, Ashley Knox and Jordan Moss are new additions in the frontcourt. Williams averaged 7.6 points, 6.0 rebounds for Buford High School that were Georgia Class AA State Champions last season. She also shot 48 percent from the floor. Knox played for McMinn Central High School, which won at least 30 games a season and won the Class AA state title in Tennessee last season. Moss, who played at nearby Towns County High School, scored over 1,000 points and grabbed more than 1,000 rebounds in her career with the Indians, which reached the sweet 16 the past two seasons.
Kaycee Cash and Petyon Robinson are the new additions for the Mountain Lions in the post. Cash averaged 12.0 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game last season for Etowah High School. Robertson was a Class AAA all-state performer at Chestatee High School last season that averaged 16.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks for a team that finished in the sweet 16.
