Rock Valley College Athletics

Game Preview: #2 RVC Plays Two Over the Weekend

1/6/2017 9:53:00 AM

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Rockford, IL - #2 RVC Women's Basketball will play home games this Friday and Saturday. The Golden Eagles will take on NJCAA DII South Suburban College on Friday, January 6th at 6 PM and Harper College on Saturday, January 7th at 1 PM.

Probable Starters

#2 NJCAA DIII Rock Valley College (12-3)
PG- Chrisseesha Clark, 5'5, So., Rockford, IL; 8.1 ppg, 3.9 apg
SG- Jaycee Cleaver, 5'8, So., Davis, IL; 15.5 ppg, 3.9 apg
G- Emily Cox, 5'9, Fr., Erie, IL; 7.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg
PF- Madision Vencincio, 6'0, Fr.,Loves Park, IL; 1.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg
C- Tierra McGowan, 6'4, So., Chicago, IL; 18.5 ppg, 13.1 rpg
 
South Suburban College (6-10)
G- Angel Kidd, 5'5, Fr., Crown Point, In; 14.3 ppg, 3.1 apg
G- Channie Thornton, 5'7, Fr., Calumet City, IL; 12.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg
F- Malika Johnson, 5'9, Fr., New Blue Island, IL; 3.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg
F- India Pierson, 5'6., So, Burnham, IL; 4.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg
F- Tatyiana Skinner, 6'2, Fr., Hammond, In; 3.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg

Harper College (3-7)
G- Angelina Villasin, 5'6, Fr., Prospect, IL; 17.3 ppg, 5.1 apg
G- Mikayla Drake, 5'7, Fr., Hersey, IL; 5.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg
F-  Kristen Serviss, 5'9, Fr., Huntley, IL; 1.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg
F- Isabelle McGuinnis, 5'6., So, Hersey, IL; 1.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg
F- Tamara Zivak, 6'2, Fr., Barrington, IL; 15.8 ppg, 10.8 rpg
 
Game Notes
Rock Valley is an NJCAA Division III member of the North Central Community College Conference (N4C)… In the latest NJCAA DIII Poll, the Golden Eagles checked in at #2 nationally moving up one spot from the poll before… The Golden Eagles are 12-3 heading into this weekend's games... The Golden Eagles kick started their N4C conference title defense with a 75-52 win on the road against Joliet Junior College Wednesday night... The Golden Eagles were led by Jaycee Cleaver with 24 points and 12 rebounds... Tierra McGowan contributed yet another double-double, scoring 20 points and ripping down 12 rebounds... Emily Cox rounded out double-digit scorers with 13 points.

South Suburban College  Notes
South Suburban College is a NJCAA DII member located in South Holland, IL... They are coached by Darrell Scott, who is in his 24th year at SSC, compiling a winning record of 450-298... Coach Scott was also selected to be inducted into NJCAA Region IV Hall of Fame in February of 2016... The Golden Eagles look to avenge last year's 63-47 loss at South Suburban College... RVC was led by DeKalb native Paige Wogen, who netted 14 points in the game.

Harper College Notes
Harper College is a NJCAA DIII member located in Palatine, IL... Jenny Turpel is entering her fourth season as the Head Women's Basketball Coach at Harper College... Turpel served as an assistant for the Hawks for two seasons prior to becoming the head coach... Turpel played four years of college basketball at Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill. and graduated with a degree in Sports Management in 2011... RVC had no issues with Harper in the 2015-16 season, defeating the Hawks by a margin of 30 points in each game... On January 6th, 2016, RVC defeated Harper 80-50... The Golden Eagles were led by 23 points and 6 assists from Auburn High School graduate Brianna Davis... Jaycee Cleaver added 17 points while shooting 5-10 from beyond the three-point arc... In last year's "Rumble in the Rock" game, RVC came away with a 71-41 win... Once again, Davis led the way for the Golden Eagles with 13 points... Wogen added 11 points, while Cleaver contributed 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.



Misty Opat is in her 8th 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 185-57 (.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.