Apaches News
Wed, Jan 13, 2010 - [Women's Basketball]
By JOE BUIE
Staff Writer, Tyler Morning Telegraph

ATHENS -- The women's basketball rivalry between Tyler and Trinity Valley has become one-sided yet again -- in the Lady Cardinals' favor.

Trinity Valley won 18 straight in the series before TJC pulled the upset in Athens on Feb. 2, 2000.
    
The Apache Ladies went on to win five of the first seven meetings of the 2000s, but Trinity Valley dominated the rest of the decade with a 15-2 mark.

The series makes its 2010 debut tonight (6 p.m.) at Cardinal Gym in the first of two Region XIV meetings (the other is Jan. 25 in Tyler).

The Apache Ladies (14-3, 3-2) appear to be catching the No. 9 Lady Cardinals (13-4, 4-1) at a good time. TVCC, playing without leading scorer and rebounder Gloria Brown, is coming off a 56-55 home loss to Kilgore.

"We're a little depleted but we're not calling for anybody's sympathy," TVCC head coach Bill Damuth said. "We're OK."

Damuth said Kilgore controlled the tempo against the Lady Cardinals, who prefer to play up tempo.

"Kilgore played them like they played us," said TJC head coach Trenia Jones, whose team lost to Kilgore 63-60 last Wednesday. "They hit big shots and got lots of offensive rebounds.

"I thought it was just (TJC) that teams were getting offensive rebounds against. They were able to do that against Trinity Valley, even against Trinity Valley's bigs."

Jones knows the odds are still stacked against the Apache Ladies. After all, TJC's last regular-season victory in Athens was the win in 2000.

"If you just go by the numbers and percentages, it looks like we don't have a chance … but anything can happen," Jones said.

Jones will start freshman Latika Smith (6.7 ppg.), freshman Nakia Ollison (5.9), sophomore CeMonay Newell (10.4), sophomore Jasmine King (11.6) and redshirt freshman Britney Joseph (10.1).

"We're going to have to have some 3-point shooters that aren't scared of big people coming at them, and hit some big shots," Jones said. "We're going to have to run our offense and we're going to have to box their big people off the boards because they are huge."

Both teams are big. TJC has 6-3 Angie Ramey, 6-2 Tajan Snowden, 6-1 Elisha Bowen, and King, Newell and Joseph at 6-foot.

TVCC has 6-4 Lesha Dunn (7.5 ppg.), 6-3 Tarjay Ashmeade (1.4), 6-3 Marlianne Louzeiro (1.8) and 6-1 Marcisa McMillan (14.8).

SMOKE SIGNALS

: The Apache Ladies beat TVCC in Athens on March 7, 2003 in the regional final. … The TJC men's basketball game today against the Northwestern State junior varsity has been canceled. The game is not expected to be made up this season. The men's team is back in action Saturday when the Apaches entertain San Jacinto. The tip-off is 4 p.m. … The Apache Ladies play San Jacinto at 2 p.m. at Wagstaff Gymnasium. … The TJC women's team defeated Dallas Diesel, 74-72, Sunday in Tyler.