Lady Sharks Need Late-Season Push To Qualify For State Tournament

The Miami Dade College women’s basketball team has suffered from inconsistent play this season.

Through 13 games, the Lady Sharks are 5-8. They are 1-5  in Southern Conference play with four games remaining this season.

Despite the slow start, the Lady Sharks say they are confident they can turn their season around. 

“We fight to the end, no matter what,” said sophomore guard Anija Payne. “We stick with the game and with each other and we believe we can accomplish anything because of that.”

Last season, the Lady Sharks had a solid campaign reaching the state semifinals and posting a 20-12 record. They had strong chemistry and offensive firepower, averaging 79.7 points and 49.1 rebounds per game and shot a nation-leading 74% from the free throw line.

However, this year, a lack of consistency is costing them. 

 The Lady Sharks are being outscored by opponents on average by a slight margin of 70.1 to 71.8  and they have struggled to stay consistent during games.  A perfect example of that is the 75-74 loss against Florida Southwestern State College on Feb. 17. In that game, the team scored 27 points in the first half and 47 in the last two quarters. 

“There are times when we go on a 9-0 run at the beginning of the game, but end up giving the other team the game because we’re not consistent enough,” said sophomore forward Nazlah Morrow, who is averaging 15.1 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.

Another issue has been team communication. This year’s roster features four freshmen and includes players from Ecuador, Brazil, Latvia and Japan.

“We need to communicate better,” said sophomore point guard Ahmari Young. “We play hard but there are times we make mistakes that could’ve been easily avoided”.

Despite the problems, four players are averaging double digits in scoring: Morrow with 15.1 points per game, point guard Rio Yamazaki with 12.8, Young with 10.7 and forward Alice Markova with 10.9.

Payne is also helping the team with 13.3 rebounds per game (third in the nation) and 9.9 points per game. 

With only four games left—all in conference—the Lady Sharks will need a late push to qualify for the Florida College System Activities Association State Tournament in Niceville, Florida, which starts on April 7.

“We are focusing on improving team chemistry, playing better defense, and shooting the ball better,” said Lady Sharks’ Head Coach Susan Summons, who has led the program for 35 years.

The Lady Sharks’ next game is at home at the Theodore R. Gibson Health Center  March 24 at 5:30 p.m. versus Palm Beach State College.

Going Up: Point guard Rio Yamazaki gets ready to take a shot during practice as four defensive players surround her. ALICE MORENO/THE REPORTER