Women’s Basketball Team Looks to Do More with Less

"Eight is great" says College of the Siskiyous women's basketball coach Noelle Collier.

That's the number of players on the Eagles' 2024-25 roster. Four are returning sophomores, four are freshmen. "Everybody will get a ton of playing time," said Collier, who is starting her fifth season as the team's head coach.

Her last three teams have been remarkably consistent: 18-9 in 21-22, 18-9 in 22-23, and 19-9 last year.

This year's team is scheduled to open the season Friday night, Nov. 1st, at Foothill in Los Altos. It's the first of 17 pre-conference games the Eagles will play over the next two months. All but one will be on the road. The one home game, against a good Folsom Lake team, will be Friday, Nov. 15th.

All four returning sophomores played in all 28 games last year. The group includes three of their top four rebounders a year ago and two of their top three passers. Samantha Freitas is a 5-7 guard from Yreka; Tatum Allen is a 5-5 point guard from Orland; Grace Hubbard is a 5-9 guard/forward from Etna, and Ella Sannar is a 5-9 forward from Gridley.

They helped the Eagles tie for second place in the Golden Valley Conference and win a thrilling 64-63 home playoff game in the first round of the Northern California Regional.

New to the team are Kaelyn Lange, a 5-7 guard from Coleville; Samantha Gish, a 5-10 forward/center from Central Point, OR; Rayana Atkins, a 5-5 guard from Owyhee, NV; and Alexes Collier, a 5-5 guard from Yreka.

Legendary Eagles coach Tom Powers is returning for his fifth season as an assistant on Coach Collier's staff, and new assistant coach Morgan Thomas is a former Eagle who earned All-GVC Honorable Mention after the 2021-22 season before playing at NWIC Bellingham in Washington.

"We're excited," said Collier. "It's a good mix of players. The girls have practiced hard for two months, now let's see what we can do."

The sophomores, she said, "are all 100 percent in and want to be here. They're all friends, understand their jobs and are on the same page. They're realistic, and I can be honest with them. They're coachable girls and have been great showing the newcomers our culture. It's amazing the confidence they have sophomore year."

Freitas was in the starting lineup for all but 5 games last year and was named to the Golden Valley Conference All-Freshman team. She averaged 5.8 points per game and was second on the team with 137 rebounds and 93 assists. She established her place in Eagle lore after throwing the long inbounds lob pass that Asia Hendrix caught for a lay-in and the winning points in the final seconds of a playoff victory over Reedley. It was followed by a jubilant celebration on the team's home court, which had been named in honor of Tom Powers a couple weeks earlier.

"Sammi picked it up last year and got to the basket well," said Collier.

Hubbard and Sannar made their marks last year off the bench. Hubbard was 3rd on the team with 112 rebounds (4 per game) and 2nd on the team with 60 offensive rebounds. Sannar was 4th with 106 rebounds (3.8 per game) and led the team with 12 blocked shots. "They get that," Collier said of their rebounding knowhow.

She said Hubbard and Sannar "do a good job when we get them the ball inside." But they can do much more than post up.

The coach wants to use Hubbard's speed, "have her running; get out and go." She recalled the speed Grace's mother showed when she played basketball and ran track for the Eagles then moved on with a scholarship.

Sannar "is hard to guard. She can post up or step out and hit a three," Collier said.

Allen started 9 games last year and was third on the team with 57 assists. She will again help bring the ball up the court on offense. "She runs the floor well, and she'll go to the basket more this year and get steals. On defense, she will guard guards or the biggest girl. Her dad coached her in high school. She always tries her best."

Alexes Collier, who played with Freitas at Yreka High, will also be directing the offense. "She makes good decisions and distributes the ball well," said Coach Collier, who is enjoying coaching her daughter. "For us, it's not that big of a deal. She's tough; she's a coach's kid that can take a lot; she soaks it in."

Samantha Gish, the tallest player on the team, played at Crater High School. She uses her long arms to her advantage, getting rebounds and steals while working around the basket, Collier said.

Kaelyn Lange comes to the Eagles from the very small town of Coleville on the California border in the Eastern Sierras. "She's adjusting to the speed, but she can shoot," said Collier.

Rayana Atkins is also a guard who can distribute the ball well. "She has a quick first step and can drive and get to the hoop or kick out passes."

The Eagles had three other players they expected to play for this year's team, but they left the program during the summer, two of them because of homesickness, Collier said. But she doesn't think a small roster is necessarily a bad thing. Two years ago, the Eagles went 18-9 and made the playoffs with just 9 players on the roster.

"A lot of good can come from less," said Collier, noting that the assistant coaches are getting involved to help during team scrimmages.

Assistant coach Morgan Thomas isn't that far removed from her playing days. She was a shooting guard who lost a season to the pandemic, then led the 2021-22 Eagles in steals while averaging 10.3 points per game. That team also earned a Northern Regional playoff berth. Thomas is helping the Eagles while finishing her degree. "She can play every day and is a good liaison between the coaches and players," Collier said.

The Eagles will play three tournaments in December: at Hartnell, at Napa Valley and at San Jose. The conference schedule will again be two games short because Feather River is not fielding a

team. Collier said the Eagles hope to add a couple games to their schedule after the regular season ends in mid-February.

By Steve Gerace