Women's squad looks to bounce back

The Cougar women's basketball team hope to rebound from fifth place finish in 2006-07.

Ask head coach Jeff Allen and the Collin College women’s basketball team about being on the outside looking in.

Because they’ve been there, and they hope to not return.

Last season, the Cougars ended up a half game out of the final spot for the NJCAA Region V tournament despite a solid 10-6 conference and 17-12 overall record. In fact, finishing fifth in the conference, the Cougars were a full four games in front of sixth place. Another win there, another good bounce here and the 2006-07 campaign would’ve ended differently.

“Where our expectations are, we expect to make the regional tournament every year and when we don’t, it’s disappointing,” Allen, who is entering his fourth season at Collin College, said. “But you come back to meet that goal again.”

Allen has a nice returning core coming back from that team. There are four returners, three of which were starters including Amber Murray, Nikki Brown and Amanda Moody. As is the nature of the beast at two-year institutions, there is still turnover with eight new players. But included in that mix are Porshe Revely, who played with Texas A&M University-Commerce last year before she tore her ACL and the team made it to the NCAA tournament Elite Eight.

Also, Stephanie Plante transferred from Cameron University in Lawton, Okla.

Both have experience, Allen said, and know what it takes to win, which is a valuable asset to a team with a heavy dose of freshman.

“It’s good (to have that experience) especially when they are top returners and starters as freshmen,” Allen said. “It’s not new to them. They know what it takes to make the regional tournament so they set the tone for the entire team.”  

One aspect of his team that Allen believes will improve over last year is injuries -- something that they can’t control but must deal with nonetheless. Both Brown and Murray went down with injuries last season leaving the Cougars short in the post. With them returning healthy and some new faces, they should have depth and speed.

“We’ve got those post players back. We’re deeper at post, which was a worry last year,” Allen said. “We’ve gotten a lot quicker and I think we’ll be better defensively.”

And, again, it’ll be a tough test in Region V. Allen expects Temple College and McLennan Community College to remain contenders along with his squad and Grayson County Community College. There also could be flux at Hill College, Ranger College and Cisco Junior College, where they have new coaches and new expectations.

Attend a game

All home games will be played at the Spring Creek Campus in Plano. 

For more information about the men's and women's basketball teams like schedules, rosters and much more, visit the athletics webpage at www.ccccd.edu/athletics/.