By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
Crowder College women’s basketball coach Tina Robbins naturally was more than a casual observer at Saturday night’s annual Lions District 26-E Classic in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
That’s because two members of the winning South All-Stars — East Newton’s 5-foot-8 Shyann Cooper and Washburn Southwest’s 6-0 Jessica Mitchell — will be playing with Robbins’ Neosho-based Lady ’Riders in 2008-09.
Mitchell scored 15 points as the South, lifted by two late baskets on the inside from Seneca’s Melea Cook, prevailed 60-58 against the North at Missouri Southern.
Said Robbins on Tuesday: “I thought Mitchell played very well. She has the ability to pass the ball and make the people around her better. She’s a solid defender and understands the game.”
Cooper added five points for the South.
“Shyann didn’t score much,” Robbins said. “But she didn’t take many shots, either. I thought she was aggressive on defense, rebounded and played very hard.”
Robbins, who’ll be in her second season at Crowder, said she appreciated the effort by the coaches as well as the players in the contest.
“Both coaches (Aurora’s Stephanie Heman for the South and Nevada’s Brent Bartlett for the North) did a nice job of giving their kids some structure and different sets. They were so competitive. It was a nice game.”
Robbins, with four players scheduled to return, has signed six players.
Joining Cooper and Mitchell are point guard Alison Walls of Orchard Farm (near St. Louis), 5-3 Kallie Flood of Hurley (Mo.), 6-1 LaMonica Howard of Houston (Texas) Westside and 5-9 Sharese Ward of Springfield Parkview.
The mothers of Cooper and Mitchell (formerly Sarah Baker and Lisa Alley, respectively) played at Crowder. Baker attended Lenapah (Okla.) High School and Alley prepped at Southwest.
Walls’ uncle, Dan Rogers, formerly coached at Crowder as well as Joplin High School.
Flood and Walls could compete for the starting nod at point guard, Robbins said.
Expected to return are Afton Baldwin, Melanie Bowers, Tara Massey and Tacora Simmons.
“We’ll be a much improved team,” Robbins said. “We’re more athletic as well as more skilled. We had several people playing out of position last season. That won’t be the case this season.
“We’re still recruiting, though,” Robbins said. “We want to sign three more players and we’re really emphasizing the post position. Getting those post players will be a key. Lack of an inside scoring threat hurt last season.”
The 5-10 Baldwin, who attended Nevada High School, and veteran Blaire Larson represented Crowder on the NJCAA all-Region 16 second team.
“Afton really finished strong,” Robbins said. “She is one of the best pure shooters in our region and we’re expecting even greater things from her.”
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