Three straight GVC titles for COS squad

By Daily News Sports Editor Bill Choy
@SDNBillChoy 
Posted Feb. 18, 2014 @ 3:32 pm 

The College of the Siskiyous women's basketball team continues to solidify its reputation as an elite junior college program with another Golden Valley Conference title.

On Saturday, the Lady Eagles went down to Eureka, Calif., and handily defeated 2nd place squad College of the Redwoods 90-71 to earn the third straight GVC crown for COS. It is the team's fifth conference title in seven seasons.

Currently the Eagles are a perfect 9-0 in the GVC and 22-3 overall.

If COS can down Lassen at home Thursday night they will end the regular season 10-0 in GVC play. Longtime head coach Tom Powers, who has coached the team since 1985, said it would be the first time in his tenure and to his knowledge in school history a women's basketball squad finished league play undefeated.

Powers said it would be special for the team to accomplish this feat.

"It's not easy to do," he said.

The game v.s Lassen begins at 5:30 p.m Thursday at the gym at the COS campus.

Coming into the season the team had to replace four players from last year's squad, including leading scorer Anna Cameron, who is now playing basketball at the University of Nevada, Reno.

COS also had to contend with losing top recruit Kelsey Miller for the year to a back injury before the season started and having top returner, Yreka High grad Carrie Watson, leave the team during the season.

Powers said that currently leaves him with a team with only one player that saw playing time last season for the Lady Eagles

But the new group has worked well together and has exceeded expectations, he said.

"It's been one of my more rewarding years for sure," Powers said. "It's been great to see new players step up each night."

Top players this season include Casie Johnson, who leads the team with around 19 points per game and Tabitha Anderson, who leads the team in assists per game and is second on the team in scoring.

"They all just play well together and play well within the system," Powers said.

COS has dominated the GVC this year and had a fairly strong preseason schedule. Since it is a down year in the conference, however, Powers believes it will ultimately come back to hurt the squad.

He said that despite an undefeated GVC record, playing in a weak conference this year with a low strength of schedule will likely cause COS to not earn a home playoff game and the team will have to start the playoffs on the road next week.

Powers added that things like this go in cycles and that for many years the GVC was one of the better conference in Northern California.

Read more: http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/article/20140218/Sports/140219558#ixzz2tn35SIiX