By Ted Waddell
LOCH SHELDRAKE — January 4, 2005 – Following the Sullivan County Community College Generals’ victory over the Nassau Community College Lions in a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XV men’s basketball game on December 18, at Paul Gerry Fieldhouse on the SCCC campus, Steve Nash spoke about how the SCCC’s women’s basketball team fared in the first half of the 2004-2005 season.
Serving as the Head Coach of the 2004-05 Lady Generals is Paul Clune of Oneonta. Nash, a 1981 graduate of Tri-Valley Central School in Grahamsville, is the Assistant Coach of the Lady Generals.
In their final outing of the semester, on December 17, 2004, the Lady Generals lost to Queensborough Community College 67-61 in a game that featured some good numbers for Sullivan. Neisha Johnson and Jessica Lake each recorded a double-double. Lake scored a team-high 20 points and grabbed a team-best 23 rebounds, while Johnson netted 12 points and pulled down 21 rebounds. Pam Graddick added 16 points, five assists and five steals for the Lady Generals.
At the close of their first half of the season, the Lady Generals had an 0-6 record. All of their defeats were at the hands of fellow NJCAA Region XV teams
The Lady Generals had only six players eligible at the end of the Fall 2004 semester.
Those players were:
• Pam Graddick, a freshman forward/guard from Walton High School in the Bronx. She averaged 13.5 points per game and led the team in steals.
• Jessica Lake, a freshman center from Tri-Valley Central School in Grahamsville. She was averaging a double-double each game – 11 points and 17.5 rebounds.
• Neisha Johnson, a freshman center/forward from Andrew Jackson High School in Queens. She is another double-double hoopster, averaging 10.8 points and 12 rebounds per contest.
• Tiera Thomas, a freshman point guard from Walton High School in the Bronx. She was dishing out an average of five assists per game.
• Victoria Fields, a freshman guard from Roosevelt High School in Yonkers. “She gives her all and is a very hard worker,” Nash said.
• Stephanie Venturini, a freshman forward/center from Eldred Central School. “A late edition to the team, she works hard,” Nash said. “A recent ankle injury sidelined her, but she should be ready for the second half of the year.”
Nash said four players were ineligible to suit up at the end of the first semester, “but should contribute next semester.”
The Lady Generals begin the second half of their 2004-05 schedule in a little more than two weeks. SCCC is scheduled to host Manhattan Community College at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 22 at Paul Gerry Fieldhouse.
The four Lady Generals who missed the first semester’s games, but should return for the rest of the season are:
• Jennifer Wright, a sophomore guard/small forward from Livingston Manor Central School. “She can play both guard positions,” Nash commented.
• Amber Gray, a sophomore guard/forward from Roscoe Central School. “She is an experienced player,” Nash noted.
• Jamie Hopkins, a sophomore center/forward from Liberty Central School. “Jamie is an experienced player who is coming off a knee injury,” Nash said.
• Christina “Tina” Hinton, a freshman forward from Liberty Central School. “She works very hard in practice,” Nash said.
Nash noted that the team is looking to add to its roster.
“Anyone planning on attending Sullivan County Community College this semester or in the Fall who wants to play women’s NJCAA Region XV basketball should call Coach Clune at 434-5750, extension 4427,” Nash said.