IRSC WOMEN S BASKETBALL

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1 IRSC WOMEN S BASKETBALL Scroll down through separate pages for each game (by date) Last game(s) played listed at end of document New team brings a fresh look and attitude to IRSC women s basketball When Diana Couch took over the women s basketball program four years ago, she promised to work hard to change the culture of the women s basketball program. That change is taking hold and continues to grow and flourish within the program. With academics being the top priority, teams over the past several years worked diligently to improve and raise the bar. This past year s team ( ) raised the team s grade point average to the programs highest over the last fifteen years at 3.0, enough to be ranked #13 in the nation by the WBCA (Women s Basketball Coaches Association). Next on the list was becoming more active and involved in community service. The women s basketball team found themselves once again the recipients of the Seacoast National Bank Community Service Award. This was the second time in three years that the women s basketball program earned this honored award. Community service has become an integral part of the program for women s basketball and players look forward to giving back each year. On the court the Pioneers struggled last season with several key injures that changed the entire dynamic of their program, but that did not stop them from continuing to receive accolades for their player s performances and achievements. In the past three seasons the Pioneer program garnished an All Regional Team selectee, twelve All-Conference nominations, two Southern Conference Players of the Week, eight FCSSA All-Academic team members, a FCSSA Sandy Miller Award winner, an All Florida Academic Team member and two time recipient of Indian River State College Excellence Award winner, as well as, several Phi Theta Kappa memberships. We have all worked very hard to create an environment that values successes on and off the court, said fourth year Head Coach Diana Couch. Our former student-athletes did their best while here to constantly strive to do better, be better and they have continually brought pride to our program on and off the floor. I cannot be more proud of our alumni and what they have worked to build. They understood the demands of our program, took pride and ownership in their team and the foundation they were building. This new team now sees what has been accomplished, what can be accomplished and are striving to keep us pushing forward. I always tell our teams, the past is meant to always to be built upon, in the classroom, on the court and in the community. This year we have young ladies that truly respect and understand where we are headed. They are all in.

2 IRSC WOMEN S BASKETBALL With only one player returning that played last year, Jazmin House is expected to lead on the floor in the paint. Madison Evans a starting point guard and leading scorer will return to the floor after recovering from an ACL injury that had her sidelined last year and Elaine Field is also stepping on the court for the first time after tearing three ligaments in her ankle last season; both are expected to return in full force to help guide this team of eleven new faces. Having Maddie out last season and Eli not only helped them grow as a players but as a leaders, said Couch. They learned so much about the game and expectations and they are ready to play and lead. Aliya Ruffin is the lone transfer this year as Couch wanted to focus on a strong freshman class to help build a better foundation in the program. Ruffin, a 5 10 guard from Moberly Community College in Missouri, is expected to bring her scoring abilities to the River and help balance experience with the youth. With ten true freshmen on the roster Couch is looking for instant energy and athleticism, but the trade is inexperience and some skill development. Expected to make an immediate difference in the style of play for the River is Rosanna Jenije a point guard from North Florida Christian High School in Tallahassee, Annette Dukes forward from Miami Senior High School in Miami, FL, Astronaut High School teammates out of Titusville, FL point guard Celia DeVoss and guard Keona Cadore, Toni Zito a guard from Wildwood High School from Wildwood, FL, forward Chakari Merritt from Dwyer High School in Palm Beach, FL, Joyce Dos Santos a guard from Hamden Hall Country Day High School in Shelton, CT and rounding out the freshman class are two local players point guard Brianna Wright from St. Lucie West Centennial High School and shooting guard Alexandra Kolb from Treasure Coast High School both out of Port Saint Lucie, FL. Expected to make an appearance later this season will be freshman guard Yairaliz Hernandez out of Saint Cloud High School in Saint Cloud, FL. Hernandez is coming off an ACL injured experienced in high school and is currently strengthening before stepping into an IRSC uniform. We have such an athletic and driven freshman class that is being led by experience and the right type of attitude this year. That combination will only lead us to competitive situations. This group of ladies hates to lose more than they love to win and that is the type of attitude that the River needs this season said Couch. We are deeper off the bench and at every position this year, something that hurt us last season. These young ladies are competitors and each have and bring a very strong defined skill set that when pieced together are a strong dynamic force to be reckoned with. Their passion to play is contagious and I really look forward to watching them grow and compete this season.

3 IRSC WOMEN S BASKETBALL Opening weekend IRSC Tip-Off Classic Oct 30 and 31 st Palm Beach vs. FSC-Jacksonville Keeping with tradition the IRSC women s basketball team opened up their season hosting the 3 rd Annual River Tip-Off Classic on October 30 th and 31 st. The River played host to conference rival Palm Beach State College, visiting Florida State College Jacksonville and making their first time appearance in the classic is Webber International JV. Games began with a Friday afternoon match-up of Palm Beach State College versus Florida State College-Jacksonville at 4:00pm. Palm Beach State led the majority of the game until FSCJ pulled off a surprise comeback to pull ahead of Palm Beach State to end the game. The 6:00pm matchup found your Pioneers taking the court for the first time of the season versus Webber International JV. With the entire format of the women s game changing this season the pace of the game will take on a new life. A life the Pioneers were set to take a hold of as they won the opening tip and went to work for the first time as a team this season. With quarters in place of halves, the Pioneers worked to adjust to the ten minute increments as they slowly chipped away at Webber International. The first quarter found them up 15-8 and struggling to find their rhythm. Playing a new 5 guard line-up the Pioneers were set to run and that they did as the halftime found the River up With Webber making some changes at the half they came out and challenged IRSC as the 3 rd quarter found teams at a deadlock score to bring the total to 45-32, advantage IRSC. The fourth and final quarter Webber did not go down with a fight as they continued to hang with the River, but the first half deficit was too much for them to recover from as IRSC picks up their first win of the season Keona Cadore led the team in scoring with 14 points and 4 rebounds, Rosanna Jenji and Madison Evans both contributed 9 points and Joyce Dos Santos and Elaine Field had 8 apiece. Second day of action found Palm Beach topping Webber International JV in the first game of the day. While Indian River State College took on FSCJ in the final game of the Tip Off. IRSC from the tip took on a quick 5-0 lead before FSCJ had a chance to settle in. FSCJ took to transitioning off missed IRSC baskets and the scoring opportunities gave them the advantage as the first quarter ended with IRSC down Regrouping and understanding the pace of the game the River took back to the court to get a quick 9-5 jump on FSCJ in the opening minutes of the second quarter, But that was short lived as they countered back with a 3-8 run on IRSC to head into the locker room with a lead over the Pioneers. Determined to not go down without a fight the River came out strong and dominant the 3 rd quarter working to cut down the point spread and did just that. The Pioneers outplayed FSCJ cutting the lead down to as the 3 rd quarter ended. FSCJ countered with a more aggressive defense and IRSC struggled to run their limited offensive game plan giving FSCJ the dominant hand. After a battle of ups and downs, FSCJ handed the River their first loss of the season Madison Evans took over in scoring this game with a season high 22 points going 3-7 from the 3 point line. While Annette Dukes achieved her first double-double and career high as a freshman with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

4 IRSC WOMEN S BASKETBALL November 4 th - IRSC women drop one at home to Daytona The Indian River State College women s basketball team took on Daytona State College this past Wednesday November 4, 2015 at home. The Pioneers took control of the game from the tip but a missed conversion gave Daytona State the opportunity to score, a series of missed opportunities stalled both teams. As things warmed up in the early minutes of the game IRSC took control before the Falcons began to out run and transition on the Pioneers. The first quarter ended with IRSC down after a series of 3 point shots were made to widen the gap. A brief timeout in between quarters gave the River what they needed as they realized their performance was dragging. Prepared to battle they fought hard in the second quarter to hang with the Falcons 19-21, but the first half took its toll as they headed into the locker room down Second half didn t prove much different for the Pioneers as the Falcons were too much to handle. Madison Evans came out ready to play as she scored the majority of the teams opening points hitting back to back three s to close the margin in the 3 rd quarter. The 4 th quarter saw much of the same result but instead of the DBSC hitting from behind the arc it was the Pioneers, but again the margin was too wide to close in on from the first quarter mishap. The Pioneers drop to 1-2 as Daytona State maintained their lead and win Madison Evans led the Pioneers with 15 points going 4-5 from the 3 point line and Rosanna Jenji scores her career high 15 points. Next on the schedule is a two day tournament at Florida State College-Jacksonville Nov th.

5 November 13 / 14 FSCJ Classic IRSC WOMEN S BASKETBALL Dukes grabs 21 boards in buzzer beater loss to Pensacola Annette Dukes records second double-double at FSCJ classic The Indian River State College women s basketball team opened up the tournament playing Pensacola State College at 5:30pm Friday November 13 th. The first quarter came with its challenges as the Pioneers were struggling to play together both offensively and defensively. There was no rhythm to the game for us, said Head Coach Diana Couch. We just could not find our groove. Timing was off, we were not in synch with anything that we tried doing. Unfortunately that stayed the case for the Pioneers in the first quarter as Pensacola took the lead It was not until the final minutes of the second quarter that the Pioneers started to settle into their game. A series of much needed defensive stops gave the River confidence and brought back some of their offensive strength to make the second quarter an game. That helped to close the gap to at the half. With things clicking and the River growing stronger they came out the third quarter firing on all cylinders as things fell into place. IRSC dominated the boards and were able to get their perimeter game going to win the 3 rd quarter leveling out the playing field to a overall score headed into the 4 th quarter. It was nice to see them starting to trust themselves and the system of play, said Couch. With so many new players on the team that has and will be our issues early, but I have no doubt this team will be on track soon. For them, seeing is believing. Unfortunately we don t have time to be testing their methods. With the 4 th quarter underway that is when both teams turned up their defensive efforts as the first 5 minutes of the game only produced 3-1 scoring in IRSC favor. But that drought on both ends did not last long as PSC took to the paint scoring with 28.1 to take back the lead 56-57, but IRSC was not done as they were fouled and Annette Dukes stepped to the line to hit both free throws making the game with 6.9 on the clock. A strong defensive effort by the River forced the ball to stay in the hands of PSC until the last second when a defensive error exposed the baseline for a bounce pass to seal the deal at the buzzer. The Pioneers were led in scoring by Madison Evans with 21 points and Annette Dukes recorded her second double-double with 10 points and an amazing 21 rebounds. The River falls to 1-3 and is scheduled to play tomorrow at 12:00 against Meridian Community College of Mississippi. Evans leads River to victory over Meridian College Madison Evans helped to lead her team to a win at FSCJ classic Another slow start stalled out the Pioneers in the opening quarter as they fell behind early 4-10 to Meridian Community College out of Mississippi. Unable to work together the Pioneers gave up easy baskets and did not look to run. But a second quarter surge pushed them back into

6 IRSC WOMEN S BASKETBALL reach as they settled into their defense and reaped its rewards. The Pioneers pulled down 14 rebounds to take control and that allowed for some easier transitions down the floor. IRSC was able to go on a run pulling them into reach at going into the half. IRSC feeling the momentum continued to go after Meridian as the 3 rd quarter started. The River took an early jump and went on another run out scoring Meridian That now gave the Pioneers the lead at and confidence to continue pushing through into the 4 th quarter. Meridian then began to lose steam in the homestretch allowing the Pioneers to breathe a bit easier as the clock wound down. A series of attempts to foul to get the ball back failed for Meridian as IRSC was able to hold on to a finish. Every year this tournament proves to be a turning point for our teams said Diana Couch, IRSC s head coach. We come here as individuals and get tested. We play great teams and they challenge us, it is at that point that they have to decide to continue to play as individuals or together. They always find a way to pull together and that is half the battle as a coach, getting them to trust and to play for each other. The growth in just the first five games has been tremendous and I have no doubts it will continue. We have solid, classy athletes in this program and they will find the way, the River Way, when it completely clicks it will be quite the game for our opponents. Madison Evans gave another great showing with 18 points, Annette Dukes had her third double-double of the season with 11 points, 13 rebounds and Rosanna Jeniji rounded the scoring off with 10. IRSC s next game will be a re-match with Daytona State College this Saturday November 21 st at 2:00pm at Daytona State College.

7 IRSC WOMEN S BASKETBALL November 21 IRSC vs. Daytona State College Daytona gets by IRSC early IRSC did not come out of the gate early and let Daytona gain advantage A road trip to Daytona State College did not fare well for the Pioneers of Indian River in what was the second match up for the River. First half mistakes coupled with other issues on the floor found the Pioneers down 28-5 in the first ten minutes of the opening quarter. Most would have thought the Pioneers were done, but they had a second wind in them. Coach Couch challenged her team to re-enter the gym a new team and they did just that. The River fired up from the slow start came out and challenged the Falcons and won the next quarter The River was aggressive and undisturbed by circumstances, however the first quarter deficit loomed over them as they ended the half down A halftime pep talk and an analysis of what needed to be done really sparked the Pioneers, that and the momentum from the end of the second quarter. IRSC took control of the ball but fell short with turnovers and that allowed DSC to again have the advantage in the third quarter as the Falcons led Again the Pioneers would not let up and they continued to battle DSC until the final buzzer but the fourth quarter advantage of coupled with the first quarter jitters found the score in the end. Leading the River in scoring was Madison Evans with 14 points, Aliya Ruffin making her debut with 11 and Chakari Merritt getting her IRSC career high of 10 points.

8 November 22 IRSC vs. Central Florida River runs short at Central Florida IRSC WOMEN S BASKETBALL The Indian River State College women's basketball team fell short to Central Florida in a loss. IRSC took to the road on Tuesday night headed to Central Florida for what was expected to be a good match up. Central Florida plays host to the Region 8 state tournament and the Pioneers took advantage of a non-conference game to get some court experience on that floor in hopes of returning in March. That might have given the Pioneers the boost they needed to come out ready to play. The River fell short the first quarter by a few missed free throws, but gained their strength coming back to win the second quarter The Pioneers defense really caused Central Florida's offense to struggle a bit as they were not able to convert on several occasions. Behind the hot hand of sophomore guard Madison Evans, the River headed into the half ahead for the first time this season over state ranked Central Florida. The second half saw the same type of competitiveness as the first as both teams battled for baskets. However Central Florida found a way to open up their leading scorer and the game took a different turn as CF took the third quarter Heading into the fourth and final quarter the score was in Central Florida's favor. Annette Dukes worked the boards to recover any second chances opportunities and the game came down to the final seconds. With the score and a press in place the Pioneers stole the ball, at least that what was thought until a whistle was blown for a foul. Now Central Florida is headed to the free-throw line for two shots. The score now with 9.9 to be exact left on the clock a quick timeout to advance the ball was called. This found the Pioneers in front of their own bench in the final seconds to execute a play to tie the game, but a call by the official gave CF back the ball as the clock expired. "It was such a well hard fought game by both teams" said Head Coach Diana Couch. "It was nice to coach a game and see the team respond and be able to counter things. This was one of the first games that we have truly worked hard. We are still missing some key components to our offense and can't wait until a few players start settling into their games. I told the team before we left the court that if they play that hard we would do great this season." The Pioneers were led in scoring by Madison Evans with her career high this season of 26 points, going 6-12 from behind the arc, Rosanna Jenije chipped in 11 and Aliya Ruffin and Annette Dukes contributed 10 apiece. Annette Dukes had another double double this game with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Next up for the River is a game versus Webber International JV at home Friday December 4th at 5:30pm.

9 December 4 Webber International JV IRSC WOMEN S BASKETBALL River picks up win versus Webber International JV The Pioneers of Indian River move to 3-5 with win over Webber. The Pioneers played at home this past Friday in their second matchup with Webber International JV. The River was ready to go from the tip as they took an early lead in the first quarter. Offensive execution was a huge part of their ability to get a jump on the warriors. IRSC did well to work the ball and take the right shots as they look to transition more this game than in the past. With IRSC's energy Webber fell behind early 21-5 by the end of the first quarter with the help of freshman Rosanna Jeniji. The second quarter fizzled out for the Pioneers as Webber began to challenge them more defensively and offensive opportunities became scarce. The second quarter landed in IRSC's favor 11-10, with a halftime score of The second half Webber came out ready to play and close up the gap. IRSC could not fend off the post play as they found themselves in foul trouble quickly and sending Webber to the line. Third quarter ended with a run in Webber's favor to bring the score to Just as things started closing in for the River they made a last quarter surge to put Webber away on a 21-3 run. Final score moves the River to 3-5. Leading the River in scoring was Rosanna Jeniji with 13 and Annette Dukes had another double double yet again with 12 points and 12 rebounds

10 December 11 IRSC at Hillsborough Community College Merritt has first career double-double at IRSC The Indian River State College women s basketball team struggled on the road when they faced Hillsborough on their court. The Pioneers had an early jump on HCC taking control from the jump but could not convert on the first two possessions that were executed to perfection. A defensive error gave Hillsborough the opening points as they drained a three to beginning the scoring of the game. That sparked allowed HCC to go on an early run that the River could not ceases as they scored rapidly turned into a 5-19 lead in the opening quarter of play. The Pioneers have been struggling to begin the opening play in the last several games, always finding themselves at the disadvantage. Second quarter of play seemed to slow HCC s scoring opportunities as IRSC settled into their defense, but their offensive scoring still stalled as the second quarter brought a 7-11 effort bringing the halftime score to Down 18 points at the half 4 th year Head Coach Diana Couch had lots to say to her team at halftime in regards to their poor opening minute s performance. This is something we have struggled with and it s so hard to watch. We have a group of very capable competitive student-athletes that just come out and freeze up said Couch. It s something that we need to work hard to change or it will continue to affect us. As a coach I need to work to find that right combination of personnel that is ready from the tip. With that said Couch pulled her starters from the line up and started another line up that proved to be ready. The Pioneers held HCC scoreless for the first 5 minutes of second quarter action, but struggled to put any points on the scoreboard. Chakari Merritt stepped up to help narrow the first quarter gap that was made, but the margin was too much as the River fell on the road to HCC Freshman Chakari Merritt led all scorers with 16 points, 11 rebounds as she posted her first double - double as a Pioneer. DeVoss, Zito lead IRSC to home win Freshman DeVoss and Zito both record IRSC career high s versus ASA. After a long journey home from the Hillsborough game that left them stranded the night before in Tampa, the Pioneers returned home just hours before game time. For many teams this could have proved to be tiring and given reasons to not be at their best performance, but the River used it as inspiration. As the early Saturday noon tip off arrived the Pioneers we ready to compete against ASA. ASA is a new team that has petitioned to join the FCSAA and scheduled to join the Southern Conference for the season. As the ball was tipped to open play the River was determined to improve their performance from the previous night s loss to HCC. From the first play the River controlled the ball and executed to score, that set the tempo for IRSC as they took an early 20-5 lead in the first quarter. The second quarter proved to be the same as the River continued on 16-7 in the second quarter, bringing the halftime total to As the Pioneers headed to the locker room the team was upbeat and in control as they proved to work

11 on their execution of plays. A quick halftime talk had the Pioneers back out and ready to go as they increased their lead in the third quarter 27-6 before ASA came out and put a stop to it in the fourth quarter holding the River and actually taking the lead 7-8 to end the game. Final score for the last home game of the semester as the Pioneers record a win. Leading in scoring with her IRSC career high Celia DeVoss with 17 points, 7 steals and 5 assists, Toni Zito recorded her career high and first double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds, Madison Evans had 13 points and Chakari Merritt had 6 points, 13 rebounds. The Pioneers are set to travel to Chipola for a two day classic where they will face nationally ranked Chipola and South Georgia Tech College on Dec 16 and 17 th.

12 December 16 & 17 at Chipola Classic River drop two on the road to tough competition IRSC traveled to Marianna, Florida for two day classic The Indian River State College Women s basketball team knew they had a daunting task ahead of them as they faced two nationally ranked programs just before holiday break. First opening up with Chipola then followed by South Georgia Tech College, the Pioneers were up for the challenge. Knowing the reputation of Chipola s nationally ranked program and how hard it is to win on the road, the River took a lot of time mentally to prep for the games ahead and for a minute it showed. As the ball was tipped IRSC took control and scored on their opening play, but it did not stop there. IRSC dominated the opening minutes of play holding Chipola scoreless at a score of 8-0 before they settled in. Our kids came out ready to play said Head Coach Diana Couch. I was so impressed by their poise and competitive nature. I know we have it in us and it s great to see them realize it. However as Chipola gained momentum the first quarter ended in their favor. That is when the troubled started for IRSC. A key three that was hit by Chipola resonated into the next quarter and the energy dropped as Chipola took a 19-9 lead bringing the score to at the half. Still within reach the Pioneers unfortunately came out flat and out of control as Chipola took advantage to increase their lead by dominating the Pioneers The final quarter showed that the Pioneers had some life in them fighting back a bit to bring the final score to The following day the River showed a completely different side to their team as they faced South Georgia Tech at mid-day. The Pioneers came out composed and in control of their offense and the game was on. Battling for every basket and rebound the first quarter fell in favor of South Georgia Tech 18-11, but the second quarter the River was determined to head into the locker room in the lead and they did beating out SGTC to have a advantage to start the second half. A series of defensive errors that resulted in unnecessary fouls sent SGTC to the free throw line a little too often and allowed them to regain the lead as they outscored RISC But again IRSC fought back, 7-12 in the fourth quarter, but a little too late to pull off the win as they dropped the game to SGTC. The Pioneers are off on holiday break until they return for a single game at Palm Beach State College on Dec 29 th versus Owens Community College out of Ohio.

13 December 29 & 30 at Palm Beach New Year Tournament (Owens CC & UW-Waukesa) River defeats #7 Owens Community College The Pioneers returned from break determined and it showed versus Owens Community College The Pioneers returned from Christmas break rejuvenated and ready to play as they faced nationally ranked Owens Community College from Ohio on the only day of play in the Palm Beach State New Year Classic. As the River deferred the opening jump ball to Owens in a decision to defend the ball first, they did just that and converted to an open lay-up on transition. That sparked the Pioneers already an eager team full of hustle and ready to play. First quarter was no match for the Pioneers as they took control on the nationally ranked #7 team. But Owens regained their composure and bounced back in the final minutes of the second quarter to take control bringing the once widening gap to a margin in IRSC favor. Second half was IRSC time to shine as they continued to battle and push and found themselves going on a run on Owens behind the three point performances of Maddie Evans and Alexandra Kolb. The fourth quarter continued that showcase of IRSC s scoring power as they maintained the run bringing the score to at the final buzzer. The Pioneers were focused and determined as all but two players on the IRSC roster scored, with four players in double digits. The River was led in scoring by sophomore Madison Evans with a dazzling well rounded performance totaling in 25 points. Maddie went 5-8 from the 3 and 8-8 from the free throw line to contribute, while Alexandra Kolb had 12 points, completing 4-5 from behind the 3pt arc. Elaine Field and Aliya Ruffin also dropped in 10 points apiece with Jazmin House grabbing 10 rebounds and adding 7 points. The Pioneers finish non-conference play and the year off 5-8. They return to action at home Jan 6 th as they open up conference play against Palm Beach State College at 5:30pm. This is a double header with the men as they take on ASA immediately following.

14 January 9, 2016 IRSC vs. Broward State College River falls short to Broward on the road The IRSC women s basketball team fell shy of their first conference win. The Indian River State College women s basketball program took to the road for their second conference game on the hunt for their first conference win. The opening minutes of play proved the Pioneers were not quite warmed up as the Broward Hawks took an early first quarter lead of The shell shocked Pioneers battled back behind the pressure of their press forcing turnovers and gaining the advantage. That momentum propelled the River s offense and allowed them to tie up the game going into the half at With a fresh second half in front of them and both teams tied, the River eased back into their game. Offensive executions were hit and miss for both teams and foul trouble began to haunt the Pioneers. The third quarter ended with the River down just 6 points with an overall score of After a brief timeout the Pioneers once again came out firing on all cylinders, but the first quarter deficit came back to haunt the River in the end. Despite their last minute attempt of fouling that led Broward to the free throw line and gave the River conversion opportunities, they still fell short by the end of the fourth quarter. The Pioneers drop their first conference road trip to the Hawks The River was lead behind the scoring of freshman Rosanna Jenije who had her IRSC career high 17 points, Jenije went 3-4 from behind the 3 point line. Madison Evans followed behind with 12 points, knocking down three 3 pointers and going 3-4 from the free throw line and Annette Dukes chipped in 10 points. The Pioneers are now 5-10 in overall season action and 0-2 in conference play. They will return to action on Tuesday January 12 th as they face St. Petersburg College at home at 5:30pm.

15 Pioneers pick up first conference win at home The IRSC women s basketball team picked up their first conference win versus Saint Petersburg s College last night. The Pioneers wasted no time jumping into action at home as their gym was filled with fans to back their performance. It was a see-saw first half as teams traded buckets evenly throughout the opening minutes. Madison Evans opened up play with back to back 3 s that surged the River ahead with a opening quarter. But that run soon stalled out as St. Pete battled back to keep the Pioneers to a mere 8 points in the second quarter. Unforced turnovers yet again plagued the River as they created their own situation with a team total 20 turnovers to end the first half down We just can t seem to make good passing decisions said fourth year coach Diana Couch. I understand our players are doing their best to win, but almost too much at the expense of execution. We have been our worst opponent with our decision making. We are right at that crossroads of fixing it and turning things around or we just might have to chalk it up to freshman immaturity. I believe in this team more than any other team I ve had in a while and I have no doubts of what each of them is capable of and what as a unit they can accomplish. That belief showed through as the Pioneers came out of the locker room with a fresh perspective on the game in the second half. An early third quarter jump had several Pioneers looking to convert baskets and that they did with Aliya Ruffin leading the charge. A strong team force came at St. Pete as the River took the third quarter 17-9 bringing the score to Pioneers. With the vision of a victory at the buzzer the Pioneers took to the court in the final quarter determined to pick up their first conference win at home. Annette Dukes decided to settle into her game late, but just in time for the River as she contributed 14 points to the cause and Aliya Ruffin and Madison Evans converted at the free throw to back her. The Pioneers had a bit of a roller coaster ride late in the game but managed to out-score SPC in the final minutes to pull ahead Annette Dukes pulled off a late game 20 points to lead her team to their first conference win. Madison Evans had 14 points, Aliya Ruffin career high 11 points, Rosanna Jenije had 6 points and Elaine Field dropped in 6. The River moves to 6-10 overall and 1-2 in conference play. They take to the road to face Miami Dade College on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

16 January 16, 2016 IRSC vs. Miami-Dade Pioneers fall short on the road Despite the Indian River State College women s basketball team turning up their offensive game, it wasn t enough to beat Miami Dade The Pioneers took to the court confident that they would not fall to Miami Dade s first quarter defensive style of play, but unfortunately that confidence was shattered as in the opening minutes. A missed directed tip off gave Dade the ball and an easy bucket within seconds and an unconverted basket turned into a 4-0 start for Dade. The River was able to tame the press of the Sharks for several possessions and Aliya Ruffin lead the point conversion before they began to waver and Miami Dade took advantage. Before IRSC knew it, it was as the first quarter ended. Shell shocked the River gathered themselves and came back settled and ready to battle. They were able to regain their composure and not only beat the press but transition them into baskets. IRSC s offensive execution took over to return several of the baskets lost in the first quarter and narrow the 19 point gap. IRSC came out, maintained their composure and went on a run on the Sharks. With the half time buzzer sounding IRSC had narrowed the margin down to a 7 point deficit in Dade s favor. The score at half time read The second half proved differently for the Pioneers as they battled bucket for bucket not letting Dade widen the margin and actually getting within 4 points. Yet again a series of miss-fired offensive executions followed by poor passing allowed Dade to keep their lead as the third quarter came to end in their favor extending the margin to The final quarter saw the IRSC team do everything to battle back as Madison Evans went on a shooting spree hitting 4-3 s to ignite the Pioneers efforts. But yet again a lapse in defense allowed an 8 point run by Dade to occur and that managed to keep the Sharks at bay from the Pioneers as they fell in what was their highest offensive effort this season. The Pioneers were led in scoring behind the efforts of Madison Evans with 23, hitting six 3 point shots to contribute to her #3 state ranking 3 point field goal percentage, Aliya Ruffin had her IRSC career high 18 points, Elaine Field dropped in another 12 and Annette Dukes rounded it out with 9 points and 10 rebounds. The Pioneers are back in action this Wednesday as they travel to Palm Beach State College (3-1) to avenge a prior first round loss to the Panthers. Game time is set for 5:30pm.

17 January 20, 2016, IRSV vs. Palm Beach State Palm Beach edges by the Pioneers The Indian River State College women s basketball team dropped a hard loss to Palm Beach State on the road this past Tuesday. Once again the nagging poor performance of the first quarter still haunts the Pioneers. A slow start gave the Panthers of Palm Beach and early lead that stuck with them throughout the game. Jumping on IRSC 10-4 in the opening five minutes of play gave PBSC the spark they needed to continue on their run. Despite the performance of freshman guard Rosanna Jenije in the first half, the Pioneers were down at the end of the first quarter. The start of the second quarter found the Pioneers fighting back and going on a 5-10 run behind the shooting of Aliya Ruffin. But a series of IRSC defensive errors allowed the perimeter shooting for Palm Beach to kick in. It gave them the boost they needed even as the buzzer sounded to end the half a three point shot sealed their lead The third quarter was a draw as both teams battled back and forth on the defensive and offensive end. IRSC s press forced turnovers, but conversions were not made keeping the score steady between teams. The Pioneers were able to cut the margin by only 2 points as the quarter ended in Palm Beach s favor Both teams continued to battle back and forth into the fourth quarter but the scoring margin never wavered as the PBSC s first quarter lead lasted throughout the final minutes of the game. With 58 seconds left in the game it became a fouling strategy that almost played right into the River s hands as a series of missed PBSC free throws gave the River the ball. Unfortunately the Pioneers were not able to convert on three separate occasions, as the final horn sounded the score was not in IRSC s favor as Palm Beach edged by The Pioneers were led in scoring by Aliya Ruffin with 18 points, 5 rebs going 3-5 from the three point line. Rosanna Jenije contributed 10 points and Annette Dukes had another season doubledouble with 12 points, 10 rebounds and Madison Evans had a season high 7 assists. The River drops to 6-12 overall and 1-4 in conference play. They return to action as home this Saturday at 2:00pm as they face undefeated Eastern Florida State College.

18 January 23, 2016 IRSC vs. Eastern State Poor defensive efforts give Eastern win IRSC women drop home game to Eastern as first round of conference ends Facing undefeated Eastern Florida State College was a challenge the Pioneers thought they were ready for as the opening tip occurred. But Eastern was on a mission to stay undefeated as it showed in every possession. Poor shot selection in the opening minutes for the River resulted in transition points for the Titans as in just the first 5 minutes of action IRSC was already down The River was in a state of disarray as the EFSC took advantage and took a 16 point lead in the first quarter to start play. Second quarter IRSC started to show some signs of life as they traded basket for basket with EFSC but fell short in the battle of the second quarter. The combined quarters gave a halftime score of in the opponents favor, a situation the Pioneers have become all too familiar with. The second half a focused and determined Pioneer team came out and took charge from the opening possession. The River turned up the heat and pressed Eastern right into multiple turnovers that forced them into calling three timeouts to try and recover. The River was on fire holding Eastern on the backcourt for over 4 minutes, never allowing them to cross and converting on all steals bringing them within 6 before the tides turned. Back to back IRSC fouls that resulted in and one s under their rim gave Eastern the spark they needed to get right back in the game, but not before the third quarter ended in IRSC s favor bringing the score to From here the winds changed in favor of the Titans as they transitioned and converted on every turnover IRSC committed to bring the final score to allowing Eastern to stay undefeated. The River finished the first round of conference play 1-5 with a season record of Elaine Field and Rosanna Jenije led the Pioneers with 12 points apiece. IRSC will now be on the road for the next three games before returning home February 6.

19 January 26, IRSC vs. St. Pete College River tops St. Pete for second time Indian River State College women s basketball traveled to St. Pete College in start of second round of conference play The Pioneers were determined to push through their first quarter drought this game and came out of the locker ready. Applying pressure from the opening minutes of the game the Pioneers took an early lead going on a 6-17 run on their conference foe. Forcing backcourt turnovers gave IRSC an early advantage that St. Pete was not ready for as the Pioneers were able to convert their steal into points, something that they usually struggle with. The second quarter the Titans settled in and found a rhythm that gave them momentum to pull ahead in the quarter outscoring the River Thankfully the first quarter run gave them enough room to still go into the locker room ahead at the halfway point of play. The third quarter brought much of the same action as IRSC continued to apply pressure early catching St. Pete off guard once again. Behind the pressure of the front traps, Elaine Field was able to snag a total 10 steals throughout the game allowing the River to surge ahead once again 6-18 extending the score to Fourth quarter sung a different song for the Pioneers as SPC settled into their press break and disarmed the River by returning the press back. A series of defensive errors and a relaxed River found themselves defending their lead as SPC closed in going on a 18-5 charge. Thankfully the River built up some gap in score that SPC could not close as time expired and the River escaped to a win Keona Cadore led in scoring with 13 points, 7 rebounds, Madison Evans assisted the efforts with 12 points, 3 rebounds and Aliya Ruffin rounded out the efforts with 10 points, 7 rebounds. The River moves up to 2-5 in conference play and 7-13 for the season, they return to action on Saturday as they travel to Broward.

20 January 30, IRSC vs. Broward State College Broward dominated IRSC for second time In their second matchup of conference action the Hawks take another win After their first meeting the River was focused and prepared to stop the Hawks of Broward College from a second win, but once again turnovers plagued IRSC. From the opening minutes of tip-off the Pioneers struggled to execute an offense and allowed Broward easy transition points as they could not defend in time. Broward eased their way to a 8-22 lead before the River could stop the bleeding. A couple of deep three point shots by Alexandra Kolb and scoring by Rosanna Jenije gave the River the lift they needed as they finally settled into the second quarter of play going on a run, bringing the halftime score to With a manageable deficit and quick reminder about feeding a hot hand, the Pioneers were back on the court ready to go. However the Hawks came out ready and the River slow out the gate to find themselves down more after the Hawks 9-21 scoring fest. A resilient Pioneer team worked to battle back from the margin but despite the efforts of Annette Dukes and a couple shots by Madison Evans the River fell short The River fell to 2-6 in conference and 7-14 for overall season. Annette Dukes had 17 points and 5 rebounds while freshman teammate Rosanna Jenije contributed 13 points, 5 rebounds to the cause.

21 February 3, IRSC vs. Eastern Florida State College River s challenge falls short in the end to Titans The Indian River State College women s basketball team fell to Eastern Florida State College From the tip the Pioneers took control of the their game and made it a battle of possessions throughout the first quarter. Determined to not fall again to the Titans, the Pioneers were focused on ball control and getting defensive stops. Their plan worked as Maddie Evans opened up the game hitting a statement 3 point shot to take the lead. It did not stop there as teammate Alexandra Kolb backed her teammate up hitting another bomb to expand the lead forcing Eastern to call a quick timeout. But the Pioneers did not stop as they hit another two 3 point shots and were sent to the free throw line to draw the first quarter score to The start of the second quarter found the Pioneers settling down and struggling to convert due to passing errors that resulted in Eastern s transition game to kick in. Despite Annette Dukes scoring efforts, the Titans had gone on a run bringing the halftime score to Out of the locker room the Pioneers were determined to not fall once again and they charged forward scoring the opening bucket at half. Keona Cadore and Rosanna Jenije came alive to help the River return the run going but that wasn t enough as the quarter ended with Eastern still on top With the margin closing in the Pioneers did not back down as they challenged the last quarter down to the last seconds of the game. Forcing the River to a fouling game in the final minutes Eastern stayed ahead 6-9 as the River was not able to convert on a couple extra earned possessions as they fell after a strong fight. The Pioneers were led in scoring by Keona Cadore with 18 points, Madison Evans and Annette Dukes had 15 points each and Alexandra Kolb had 11 points.

22 February 6, IRSC vs. Miami Dade College Balanced scoring throws the River off balance Miami Dade picks up second win versus the River The Pioneer women kick off a three game home stay with conference foe Miami Dade. In their last meeting Dade walked away with a win that the Pioneers felt they gave up to easily. With a mindset of knowing what was in store the Pioneers felt prepped and ready to compete. The opening minutes backed up that confidence as IRSC dominated Dade s press and they found themselves down and calling the first time out of the game to regroup. Battling back out of that timeout and sticking with the press Dade forced the River to sink and Dade took the lead to end the first quarter Now having gained their rhythm Dade continued the pressure and the River fell apart committing 20 turnovers and only scoring 5 points to Dade s 22 in the second quarter. The walk to the locker room was a long one as IRSC was down After spending time in the locker room to process what happened, the River came out ready to avenge their first half deficit and return Dade s earlier run. Leading the charge was Madison Evans and Alexandra Kolb with shots behind the arc that sent the Pioneers forging ahead. Annette Dukes came alive cleaning up missed shots and grabbing defensive boards allowing the River to start running more. Before Dade knew what had happened the River had went on a run, bringing the River into range A quick break to start the 4 th quarter and the Pioneers were back at it, but a series of offensive errors kept the Sharks at bay and the River could not close the gap in time falling Annette Dukes had a double-double to help the cause with 19 points, 13 rebounds, Madison Evans dropped in 17 and Rosanna Jenije 11. The River falls to 2-8 to close out the second round of conference play, 7-16 overall. They will return to action at home this Tuesday at 5:30 when they being the last round of conference play with Palm Beach State College.

23 February 6, IRSC vs. MIAMI DADE Dade takes road game from the River IRSC falls to Miami Dade on the road Starting off the first quarter sending the Miami Dade sharks to the free throw line 11 times was not in the game plan for the Pioneers. The opening minutes were plagued with poor defensive judgement and it sent IRSC scrambling just to hang on as they found themselves down before they knew it. The second quarter they started to settle into their groove and IRSC s offense began to do its job and found Dade now in foul trouble. The Pioneers managed to play in the second quarter but the opening minutes defensive errors held them back as the halftime horn sounded to deficits they needed to still climb back from. The second half was more competitive and steady as the third quarter ended with a score of and the fourth quarter found the same result Only a 3 point difference was seen in the second half of action but due to the first quarter gap in score the Pioneers yet again dropped another game in conference action. The Pioneers only had two in double digits with Annette Dukes contributing 15 points and Aliya Ruffin 10. The Pioneers will return home Wednesday night as they host Paint the River Pink in honor of cancer awareness and also recognize their sophomores in their final home game. IRSC will face St. Petersburg College at 5:30pm, everyone is asked to wear pink.

24 February 9, IRSC vs. PALM BEACH River drops third game to Palm Beach The Indian River State College women s basketball team was not able to hold on in the end, losing to Palm Beach The Pioneers were determined to pick up a win in their final meeting with conference rival Palm Beach State College this past Tuesday, but it was a struggle. In the opening minutes of play IRSC set the tempo and was able to get an early and unexpected lead on the Panthers. Keona Cadore had an and one play that gave IRSC a cushion, but PBSC used that mistake on their part to motivate them into regaining the lead. Alexis Sparkman hit a buzzer 3 point shot to push PBSC ahead as the horn sounded ending the first quarter in their favor. Not happy with themselves allowing that last go ahead shot, IRSC came out on fire from the perimeter in the second quarter hitting four 3 s. But they were not done yet as they surged ahead going on a run on Palm Beach bringing the halftime score to The second half proved to fall in Palm Beach s favor as the fire that IRSC had diminished to a small flame. Palm Beach came out of the locker room ready to go and the Pioneers struggled to keep up as PBSC returned the run LaKiah Sims worked inside to regain their lead as the 3 rd quarter ended in the Panthers favor. The fourth and final quarter Palm Beach stayed within reach but IRSC struggled to overcome the gap. The final minutes turned into a fouling game that played into the River s favor. With missed freethrows by Palm Beach, the River just could not convert those opportunities and Palm Beach took the final game Indian River State only had two players in double digits this game, with Rosanna Jenije contributing 12 and Annette Dukes 10 points. Next up for the River is at home versus Broward 2:00pm.