Game Preview: Rock Valley women host Highland and will honor their sophomores on Saturday afternoon
Game Day: Saturday, February 20, 2016. Rock Valley College vs. Highland Community College on the campus of Rock Valley College in Rockford, IL
Probable Starters
#4 Rock Valley College (21-7)PG-
Katreelah Steward, 5'4, So., Chicago, IL; 2.8 ppg, 3.0 apg
SG-
Brianna Davis, 5'8, So., Rockford, IL; 16.0 ppg, 3.4 apg
F- Auri Hampton, 5'10, So., Zion, IL; 3.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg
F-
Asia Jones, 5'9, So., Chicago, IL; 5.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg
C-
Hayley Anderson, 6'0, So., Belvidere, IL; 0.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg
6th-
Tierra McGowan, 6'3, Fr, Chicago, IL; 10.0 ppg, 10.6 rpg
Highland Community College (19-8)PG- Gokee Aslan, 5'3, So, Cottage Grove, WI; 6.4 ppg, 4.1 apg
SG- Marissa Mandeldove,
5'4, So, Atlanta, GA; 17.6 ppg, 5 apg
F- Courtney Walker -,
5'7, So, Barneveld, WI; 8.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg
F-
Angel Eaton, 5'9, So, Chicago, IL; 9.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg
F- Alysha Justice, 5'9, So, New Glarus, WI; 20 ppg, 14.7 rpg
6th- Darnesha Smith, 5'6, Fr, Chicago, IL; 10.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg
Highland Community College NotesHighland Community College is a member of the Region 4 Arrowhead Conference. Highland comes into the game 19-8 riding a three game winning streak. Head Coach of Highland is Rock Valley College alum Erin Butler, who played at RVC in the late 2000's. The last meeting between the two the Golden Eagles posted a 70-54 victory. RVC was led by
Brianna Davis25 points (10-17 FG).
Jesania Laboy also hit double-figures adding 11 points.
Auri Hampton filled up the box score producing 9 points and 8 rebounds.
Tierra McGowan, one of the leading rebounders in the country, was limited to less than 7 minutes of action due to foul trouble. However, McGowan was still able to haul in 10 rebounds in her limited minutes before fouling out.
Rock Valley College NotesRock Valley is an NJCAA Division III member of the North Central Community College Conference (N4C) The Golden Eagles are 21-7 on the season and coming off their most recent conference win against College of Dupage have clinched their 6thstraight N4C Conference Championship... RVC women's basketball is in a "Golden Age" of their program having won 3 of the last 4 NJCAA D3 national championships (2012, 2013, 2015) and earning national runner-up in 2014. Rock Valley College will be celebrating its five sophomore Golden Eagles on Saturday. These sophomores in their time spent here at Rock Valley have put together an impressive resume. Compiling a record of 48 wins and 14 losses, two N4C Conference Championships, one Region 4 Championship, DistrictChampionship and to top it off a National Championship. But these sophomores are not done yet they have their eyes set on one more ultimate prize, a second National Championship, and to leave their legacy.
(
Misty Opat - RVC Athletics)
Misty Opat is in her 7th year as the Head Women's Basketball Coach at Rock Valley College. Opat has established her program as one of the best in the history of the NJCAA. Her program has won three NJCAA DIII National Championships (2012, 2013, 2015) in the past four seasons and finished in National Runner-Up in 2014. Entering this season, Opat has compiled an overall record of 151-47 (.763). She was named Spalding NJCAA DIII National Coach of the Year in 2015, has been named the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year four times, the Region IV Coach of the Year four times, the District 2 Coach of the Year four times, and the Coach of the NJCAA DIII National Tournament three times. Prior to RVC, Opat accumulated seven years of NCAA Division I coaching experience. From 1999-2002 she served as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she also served as the Recruiting Coordinator. In 2000 her UIC recruiting class was ranked 19th in the country for NCAA Division I. Opat also held assistant coaching positions at Fresno State University (1998-99) and the University of Kansas (1995-1998) where in both cases she was also heavily involved in recruiting and scouting. Opat earned an Associate of Science degree from Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas, where she was a two-year team captain in basketball and was named to the all-conference and all-region teams in both seasons. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, where she earned NAIA All-American honors as a player. Opat then went on to obtain a Master of Science in Sports Administration from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas.
