As winners of six straight games and 14 of their last 15 games, the Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) women’s basketball team is listed at No. 15 in this week’s National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Top-20 poll.
With two games to go in the regular season, the Sea Devils currently sit in second place, behind only No. 11 Guilford Tech in the Region X standings.
“It feels great to be one of the top teams in the country and to know that we have been recognized for all of our hard work throughout the season,” CFCC Coach Lori Drake said. “Last year we jumped into the polls very early and I think that hurt us. The key is to keep the ladies focused and make sure they are not getting slack just because we have been named one of the top-15 teams in the country.
“I love knowing that we have stayed strong, stayed focused and have continued to battle this late in the season. It is a long season and we are putting our attention to staying healthy, staying fit, and being ready to compete day in and day out.”
While it’s easy to catch a glimpse of the national rankings by going to www.njcaa.org, Drake has kept her team focused on the task at hand heading into crunch time and the conference tournament, which begins March 3 at Brunswick Community College.
“I actually did not tell the players about our new rankings last week as it is not a main focus for us right now,” said Drake. “I do think the team has deserved it, but not knowing is better on the mental part of the game. We, as coaches, do not put the focus on a ranking. We put our focus on the next game ahead and how we can get better from game to game and from now until the tournament.”
A couple of losses earlier in the year hurt the team’s chance to gain a regular season league title, but Cape Fear remains honed in on finishing the schedule in second place, while looking to make a run in the conference tournament to ultimately gain a berth to the NJCAA National Tournament.
“Of course we would love to be in the No. 1 spot in the conference, but we are really happy with where we are right now and looking to get a shot at moving through the conference tournament, hoping to get another crack at Guilford Tech,” said Drake. “Our goal all season has been to win a Region 10 championship and go to nationals, and that will continue to be our goal through March. These ladies know what they want.”
Leading the way for the 22-5 Sea Devils are sophomores Kristina Rumplasch and Eboni Gilliam, who have already signed National Letters of Intent to continue their athletic careers after this season.
Rumplasch, who averages 17.2 points per game, serves as the team’s leading scorer, while Gilliam chips in with 14.3 points per game.
“Our leadership this year has been outstanding,” said Drake. “We have had so many players step up night in and night out for us.”
While Rumplasch, Gilliam and freshman guard Jasmine Brown (11.5) all average in double figures, Drake credits the emergence of point guard Victoria Florence, who has helped guide the Sea Devils to an average of 79 points per game.
“Victoria Florence has been our floor general all year and has really been a big part of what we’ve been able to do offensively,” said Drake. “She has pulled this team together many times this year and has really been a dependable point guard for this team.
“We also have several freshmen who have stepped up their game and those roles have played a great part in some of our toughest victories.”
Cape Fear returns to the floor for its final regular-season home game against Spartanburg Methodist on Feb. 21.
