Women's Basketball Starts Year Ranked 15th in NJCAA

October 31, 2024

The Lady Panther's women's basketball team starts the 2024-2025 season in uncharted territory. Coming off a season in which the team finished the year ranked #17 in the country with a 24-6 record, the 2024-2025 team starts the year ranked #15.

Expectations are sky high for this program. Head Coach Maureen Smith returns 7 key members from that 24-6 team a season ago. Leading the way is Taylor Blackshear, who finished the season with the 5th most steals in NJCAA DII Women's Basketball. Sharpshooters Gabriella Toledo and Leta Adamo, slasher Leah Jessup, all-around scorer Bree Williams all return and provide experience in the guard positions. Isabella Rivera and Sarah Gorman bring scoring, rebounding, and defense in the post. All 7 returners started at least 1 game in the 2023-2024 season.

"It's nice returning so many players, key players, from last season. They know what it is expected of them and this team. We have unfinished business from last year. Being ranked and winning Region 8 is nice, but district championship and a national tournament berth is the goal for this team," said Head Coach Maureen Smith.

Four freshmen were brought in to supplement the talent that returned. Milan Santos, a transfer from Palm Beach Atlantic University, and Mia Lewis, a freshman from New Jersey, will both be counted on to run the offense. Suri Thomas brings a lot of speed and athleticism to the guard spot, while Kyana Poitier, younger sister of former Panther Kyandra Poitier, brings an inside presence to fill the void left by Keri Cooper and Savannah McAfee (both now at University of Mount Olive).

The Lady Panthers open the season in Jacksonville November 1st and 2nd. The schedule features games against #2 (Johnson County), #7 (Lake Land), #12 (North Central Missouri), #13 (Kansas City Kansas), #14 (Parkland) and #16 (Scottsdale).

"I made this schedule for a reason. We have high hopes. To be the best, you have to play and beat the best. We will find out just how good we can be," comments Head Coach Maureen Smith.

You can follow the Lady Panthers on X, Instagram, and catch home games on their Youtube page.

The #15 rank is their highest ever ranking to start the season and 2nd highest ranking ever, after the 2023-2024 team was ranked #14.