Pictured are the members of the 2024-25 JCC women’s basketball team. Photo courtesy of JCC Athletics

The Jamestown Community College women’s basketball team is in an advantageous position for a junior college in 2024-25, returning six sophomores from a season ago, one in which it made it to the Region 3 championship game before losing to SUNY Niagara. That loss and a desire to hang a regional banner in the Physical Education Complex fuel this year’s squad.

“As a team, if everybody does their part, we will hang a banner. It just has to be a team effort; it can’t be one player playing against five other people; it has to be all of us together,” said sophomore forward Courtney Martin.

This year the goal is the same: to get to the championship.

“Hopefully, we can win,” sophomore guard Myla Truitt said. “I feel like we have a way better chance to win this year than last year. We have way better pieces.”

Added sophomore guard Kaleigha Plett: “This year is personal. Last year I didn’t get to play a lot because of the freshman learning curve. Being a sophomore, there’s only six of us; some of us who came back it shows you want to be here. Definitely want to win a lot of games, and when we get to Region 3, take the cake.”

To make that happen, hard work and dedication to their craft on and off the court is what this year’s Jayhawks believe will be the key to success.

“We just have to make sure we are in the gym outside of practice,” Plett said. “Working hard on things we can do as individuals to make us better as a team with that extra step. We need to be more focused and stay consistent longer.”

Noted sophomore forward Mbali Mhlanga: “We started getting our work in way earlier this year. This year our freshmen have picked up quite a lot. You can’t tell who is a freshmen anymore.”.

The six returning sophomores, including Martin, who finished first on the team in blocks and second in rebounds, as well as Plett, who was third in field goal percentage, are joined by a couple of transfers and seven incoming freshmen to round out the Jayhawks roster.

Jamestown CC, which is coached by Dave Turnbull and assisted by Donathan Daniels, plays its first eight games on the road, starting with the Bryant and Stratton (Buffalo) Bobcat Kickoff Classic on Saturday with a game against Fisher College at noon.

The Jayhawks open their home slate when Garrett College visits Jamestown on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m.