Veteran Eagles ready to return to hardwood

MELBOURNE, Fla. (January 23, 2021) – Forty-eight weeks. That's how long it's been since Tallahassee Community College's women's basketball team has played a regular season contest. 

The wait ends on Saturday, however, when the Eagles tip off an abbreviated 2021 season in Melbourne, Fla., against Indian River State College at 11 a.m. The game will be played at Eastern Florida State College. 

After missing the postseason in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down team activities until July, then the NJCAA delayed the start of the 2020-21 season to January 20. Moreover, the Eagles played just one scrimmage during the NJCAA's fall season. 

For most coaches, the prolonged off-season might be reason for panic. Fortunately, for second-year head coach Matt Huddleston, his roster is teeming with experience, and the adversity of 2020 provided the perfect opportunity for veteran leadership to emerge. 

"It's been refreshing to watch this group (of sophomores) show the initiative, on many days, to get into the gym and get shots up, create practice plans for their teammates and truly take ownership (of this season)," said Huddleston. "They have done an outstanding job setting the tone for the season, which we expect to be a grind, both physically and mentally. 

"We're ready to go." 

Even without the services of combo guard Sedayjha Payne (11.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg in 2019-20), who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the fall, seven other sophomores combine to return 75% of the Eagles' scoring and 69% of their rebounding from a year ago. 

Twin sisters Polina (16.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.6 apg) and Ana (13.6 ppg) Nikulochkina led the Eagles in scoring as freshmen, though injuries allowed them to only play 11 games together. Rita James (7.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg), Kyra Smith (6.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and Briana Chambers (6.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg) played in all 26 games while Olivia Eller (7.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.0 apg) missed the final 10 games with an injury and Tariah Bryant (3.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg) was limited to just 12 games. 

Adding even more experience is Broward College transfer Mel Feratovic, who suffered her own season-ending injury last season, averaged 5.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in nine games. 

The Eagles' 12-14 record a year ago included a pair of wins over Top 5 nationally-ranked opponents. They carry a No. 6 Region 8 ranking into Saturday's opener against the Pioneers. 

GAME NOTES:

Tallahassee has 19 games on its 2021 schedule, including three non-conference tilts. The Eagles travel to Florida State College at Jacksonville on Wednesday before playing its home opener next Saturday against St. Petersburg College…Tallahassee is 12-1 all-time against Indian River State, with the lone loss coming in the teams' first-ever meeting on November 19, 1998…Saturday's game will mark the first time in its 27-year history that Tallahassee has played a game at Eastern Florida State College.

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