By Scott C. Wallace Tennessee Tribune Metro Sports Writer
Columbia, Tenn.- The Columbia State Community College Chargers will be back home starting tonight with a doubleheader versus the Walters State Community College Senators. The women’s game will start at 5:30 p.m. CST with the men’s game to follow. The teams split in their November 21, 2014 he Lady Senators winning 74-41 and the Chargers winning 91-70.
Three former Metro players try to keep # 9 Walters State Women Rolling
The Lady Senators (20-2, 11-0 TCCAA) are the ninth ranked Division I team in the NJCAA. Three former Metro Nashville players have been key contributors all season. Former Maplewood High School star Tangela Crenshaw is tied for the team lead in point per game averaging 10.5. The 5’11 Crenshaw was a three-time all district performer for Maplewood. D’Toria Fowler from Antioch High School is the fourth leading scorer on her team averaging 7.9 ppg. Overton High alum Ant’Tresia Patton is deadly from the free throw shoot at a 88.9% clip.
The Lady Chargers (6-11, 4-7 TCCAA) will key on three players if they want to pull off the upset, two of which are former Metro Nashville players themselves. 6’4 center Porche Hannah from Pearl-Cohn will have her hands full with the huge front-line of Walters State. Hannah is her team’s third leading scorer averaging 11.2 ppg, 10.6 rebounds per game and 3.9 blocks per game. Whites Creek High alum Alexis Lang has only played in seven games this season due to injury. Lang came back after missing nine games and scored 11 points off the bench this past Saturday in her team’s loss at Cleveland State. Point guard Lamarra Gordon is leading the conference scoring 20.8 ppg.
Chargers Go For Third Straight
After losing at Chattanooga State a week ago, the Columbia State Men’s team (16-5, 8-3 TCCAA) look to build on their two game winning streak against Walters State (11-11, 4-7 TCCAA). Charger Head Coach Brian Collins‘ team is almost at full stretch and they are trying to get their rhythm back.
“All we want to do is win one in a row,” said Collins. Today’s game is all that matters. Streaks are nice but we have a bigger picture. We won’t be scoreboard watching because we want to make sure we gt ourselves right. Not paying attention to detail has hurt us. Chatt. beat us and now we are tied with them instead of having a cushion. If we play like that again we will slip in the standings. Walters is on our minds right now.”
With the early success of shooting guard T.J. Cromer (21.2 ppg), teams have been keying on stopping him from scoring from the outside. The added concentration on Cromer has helped Preseason National Player of the Year T.J. Dunans get loose.
Since the calendar has turned to 2015, Dunans has averaged 13.0 ppg, 8.2 rpg and 6.8 assists per game. With the emergence of Hillsboro High 6’8 alum Jamontae Davis, the steady play of former Father Ryan star Jamonte Graham and the two headed monster down low of 6’8 Immanuel Griggs and 6’9 Ramon Jenkins, then add in Cane Ridge alum Matt Brown. Collins has acquired a great problem. Splitting minutes.
Point guard Justin Pride, who is averaging almost 10 assists a game, sees this as more as an opportunity than a problem.
“We are all brothers so it doesn’t matter who gets the minutes as long as we win,” said point guard Justin Pride. As a point guard it is up to me to get the ball at the right spot at the right time. Having those guys make my job easy. We want to get on a roll. We have been grinding hard. Hard work pays off. It’s time to collect our check.”
Justin Pride
Columbia State guard Alexis Lang
Former Maplewood star Tangela Crenshaw