Lady Coyotes relished the underdog role
Weatherford College Lady Coyote basketball head coach Bob McKinley is no stranger to the NJCAA Tournament, having taken several teams to the elite event in his long tenure.
By Rick Mauch
Weatherford College Lady Coyote basketball head coach Bob McKinley is no stranger to the NJCAA Tournament, having taken several teams to the elite event in his long tenure.
This season, he almost took another group, coming within a buzzer-beating 74-72 loss to South Plains College in the NJCAA Region 5 championship game. It might have been the most unlikely team he took had they continued their magical postseason run in a season unlike any other, one that didn't even get started until January because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Lady Coyotes finished 16-8 overall and won the Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference Tournament championship, entering as the No. 5 seed and playing all three tournament games on the road.
The Lady Coyotes ended the regular season with a 13-7 record overall and a 9-7 conference record, having dropped six of their final 10 games, including three of the last four. However, in the tournament, they found a rejuvenation, starting with an 88-65 dismantling of Temple, fueled by a 46-19 run over the second and third quarters.
Then came a 75-71 upset of Hill, a game in which the Lady Coyotes rallied in the fourth quarter with a 21-15 burst. In the conference championship at Grayson, the Lady Coyotes held off a late rally by the Lady Vikings for a 91-89 victory.
In the three conference tournament games, freshman Jasmyne Robinson averaged over 18 points, including eight assists and over four steals. Sophomore Diamond Sweats averaged more than 17 points and almost eight rebounds. Sweats posted a triple-double in the win over Hill with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
In the regional championship game at Snyder, Robinson busted loose for 34 points.
Robinson is one of several reasons McKinley and the Lady Coyotes are optimistic about another possible run next season. The roster included 11 freshmen and just three sophomores.
Recapping the Lady Coyotes
Overall record: 16-8
Conference record: 9-7
Home record: 8-3
Road record: 8-5
Postseason: Won NTJCAC Tournament by defeating Temple, 88-65; Hill, 75-71; and Grayson, 91-89, all on the road. Lost Region 5 championship game at Snyder to South Plains, 74-72
Longest win streak: 5 games
Longest loss streak: 2 games (twice)
Biggest margin of victory: 112-35 over TCA
Scored over 100 points: Three times
Records in games decided by five points or less: 3-3
Roster: 11 freshmen, 3 sophomores
Team statistics
Scoring: 81.2, opponents 67.6
Rebounds: 38.6, opponents 38.1
Assists: 19.4, opponents 12.6
Steals: 13.0, opponents 11.6
Blocks: 6.0, opponents 2.0
Turnovers: 19.7, opponents 17.5
Field goal percentage: 46.4, opponents 34.0
3-point percentage: 35.5, opponents 25.3
Free throw percentage: 69.8, opponents 69.9
Individual leaders
Scoring: Jasmyne Robinson, fr., 17.3; Diamond Sweats, soph., 15.4; Adela Valkova, soph., 13.6
Rebounds: Valkova, 8.0; Adreanna Waddle, fr., 6.4; Sweats, 5.4
Assists: Robinson, 6.8; Sweats, 3.4; Shomyra Francis, fr., 1.9
Steals: Robinson, 4.0; Sweats, 2.0; Valkova, 1.5
Blocks: Valkova, 2.1; Waddle, 1.3; Sweats, 1.2
3-point percentage: Briarley Rogers, fr., 43.6; Celise Bobbitt, fr., 40.0; Robinson, 35.9
Field goal percentage: Bobbitt, 56.7; Francis, 52.1; Valkova, 52.0
Free throw percentage: Robinson, 82.9; Valkova, 75.0; Rogers, 75.0