BCC Titans Aim For Quick Start In Basketball

Men's, Women's Teams Strong Entering New Year

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – With the adjustments of the preseason behind them, the Brevard Community College men’s and women’s basketball teams open their regular seasons at weekend tournaments in Niceville and Daytona Beach respectively.

The men play Snead State of Alabama at 3:30 p.m. Friday and Albany Tech of Georgia at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the Northwest Florida Tip-Off Classic in Niceville.

The women play host Daytona Beach State College at 6 p.m. Friday and Potter’s House Christian Academy of Jacksonville at noon on Saturday in the Daytona State Tip-Off Classic.

The men’s pre-season consisted of competing in the Tallahassee Community College Jamboree where they won two games and tied one and exhibition games against NCAA Division II Palm Beach Atlantic and Lynn University both of which they lost.

The women played in jamborees in Tallahassee and at St. Petersburg Community College. They won one and lost two in Tallahassee and lost all four games at St. Petersburg.

Both teams were shorthanded throughout the pre-season due to injuries which prevented men’s head coach Jeremy Shulman and women’s head coach Renee Bellamy from getting true readings on their rosters’ talent and chemistry.

Both squads are expected to be at full strength for this weekend.

Different approach

“We take a different approach in our preseason schedule,” Shulman said. “A lot of colleges will just play multiple jamborees. I don’t think those really prepare you for the game.

“We try to play some better teams, some older teams, some teams that have been in systems a lot longer. We obviously did very well in the jamboree. By playing Division II schools I think we’ll be prepared when we step on that floor. I don’t think we’ll be shell-shocked.”

Shulman will be looking to sophomore tri-captains Nyles Evans, Gary Gaskins and Addision Spruill to shoulder the load for the season.

“That’s the backbone of our team, the strength of our team,” Shulman said. “I think those guys are just raring to go.

“Nyles coming off a great 26-point performance (against Lynn); Addison missed the game (against Lynn) on Saturday. He’s just ready to run through a wall to get started. Gary is ready to prove himself as one of the nation’s elite big men.”

Sophomore Luka Pajkovic and freshman Juri Gunjina are expected to play key roles for BCC along with freshman Ben Patrick who missed most of the pre-season with a broken wrist. Also, freshman and Heritage High graduate Devontay Clark and freshmen Mike Kirkland and Malcolm Carney could see important minutes.

For the women, Bellamy will be counting on sophomore co-captains Kasie Berry and Shaneece Stephens, sophomore sharpshooter Olivia Atwell, sophomore guards Ambra Martin and Shante Stevenson and sophomore forward Briana Reeves to provide leadership and for a talented group of freshmen to step up.

Women’s team

“We played well in the Tallahassee Jamboree and made ourselves look like the worst team in the Southern Conference the following weekend,” Bellamy said.

“I tried to express to them that they can’t make excuses for not having everyone. Well whoever we have those individuals know exactly what the expectations are. Everybody has to step up.

“I would say I have about three to possibly four freshmen who have great potential, great talent but they seem like they’re afraid to show it. With the sophomores we’ve got to get those freshmen to basically make sure that they show it (talent). We had a re-grouping session . . . to where we kind of opened their eyes up to see where the intensity level needs to be.”

The women play their first home game in the Melbourne Campus gym at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6, against Santa Fe Community College. The men play their first home game of the season in Melbourne at 7 p.m. Wednesday against Daytona State.

The men finished 21-11 last season. The women were 13-18.

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