March 21, 2007
KODAK ALL-AMERICAN
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Gulf Coast sophomore Shanea Cotton was named a Kodak/WBCA All-American, it was announced Tuesday. The Panhandle Conference Player of the Year is the ninth Lady Commodore to achieve the honor and the first since Helen Johnson in 2005. Cotton, who will play at Temple next year under former Olympian Dawn Staley, led the Lady Commodores to the FCCAA state championship game, where they lost to Chipola. She averaged 13.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Cotton finished her career 10th all time at Gulf Coast in scoring and first in single season and career field goal percentage.

March 12, 2007
COLD START DEMINISHES CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Act IV had everything a finale would want, right down to the final scene. But in Gulf Coast’s case, the good guys lost. In their fourth meeting of the year, the Lady Commodores fell to the Chipola Lady Indians for the second time and for the third straight year in the FCCAA state tournament championship game, 60-57, Saturday night at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center. Chipola (27-6) advanced to the NJCAA national tournament in Salina, Kan., March 20-24. Gulf Coast finished 27-4. Down 13 points, the Lady Commodores pulled within four when freshman Janae’ Stokes scored a layup with 1:02 left in the game. On the ensuing play, sophomore guard Dominic Cranford picked up an errant Chipola pass and laid it in to cut Chipola’s lead to two with 50.8 seconds left. A Chipola free throw made the lead three, and Gulf Coast’s final heaves clanked off the rim. “We didn’t make plays. We didn’t hit shots,” Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel said. “I thought we made a great comeback. I thought our effort was really good. We just got down too deep in the second half. We just got down too far.” The Lady Commodores tried to shoot their way back into the game after keeping the first half close by penetrating to the basket and utilizing an athletic Dee Liles in the post. They were down 28-26 at the break, but shot 1 for 9 from behind the 3-point arc in the second half and finished the game 2 for 14. Liles had a run of five straight points in both halves, and finished with 14 points, but Scovel said she tried forcing the Lady Commodores to find other options.
News Herald Article        FCCAA Tournament Bracket

March 10, 2007
DEFENSE DOESN'T REST IN GC VICTORY
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Gulf Coast didn’t need its offense Friday to advance to its sixth straight FCCAA state tournament championship game. Defense was enough. The Lady Commodores used 14 steals to run away with an 82-37 win against the Seminole Lady Raiders in the semifinals at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center at Chipola College. “I thought our defense was tremendous,” Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel said. “I thought our offense was still a little unsettled. We missed a lot in the paint, easy stuff.” Three Lady Commodores finished with three steals each, and Alexis Givands had 12 rebounds and six points. When Gulf Coast did score, it was evenly distributed, with four Lady Commodores finishing in double figures. Shanea Cotton led Gulf Coast with 14 points, and Jasmine Brown and Shimica Boular each had 13. Janae’ Stokes added 11 points. The Lady Commodores (27-3) appeared more composed after their uneven performance on Wednesday, but their confidence didn’t show on the offensive end. It took Gulf Coast until midway in the first half to reach double digits, and it needed a 26-7 run to lead by 37-12 at halftime. “It started this morning at the motel,” Scovel. “We were just different. Just a lot more settled, really, really excited about coming to play. And I thought it showed in the first half.” Gulf Coast produced offense from its defense. The Lady Commodores scored 15 points off turnovers, and outscored the Lady Raiders 15-3 from behind the arc. GCCC held Seminole, which ended 17-13, under 10 points until 1:01 remained in the first half. Scovel rotated her bench frequently in the first half, and by the time Gulf Coast had opened a 30-point lead, she had used all 12 players. Gulf Coast will play Chipola at 5 p.m. today at Chipola College. “We’re real excited, but we’ll get over it real quick and try to move on tomorrow,” Scovel said. “Tomorrow brings a whole new challenge in a whole new environment. “It’ll be a whole new set of nervousness to have to deal with.”
News Herald Article        FCCAA Tournament Bracket

March 8, 2007
NOT A PRETTY VICTORY
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - When Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel went to breakfast Wednesday morning, she saw just how nervous the Lady Commodores were. Instead of Scovel needing to wake some of her team up, the Lady Commodoers were waiting for her at the breakfast table, a sign Scovel said that nerves had gotten the better of them. Those nerves were still with the Lady Commodores in their 71-56 win against Santa Fe Community College in the quarterfinals of the FCCAA state tournament at Chipola College. “A lot more than we think,” Scovel said of how nervous Gulf Coast was. She said the nerves led to a lack of confidence, especially in the first half. It wasn’t until the third minute of the game that Gulf Coast scored its second basket, and with 14:30 remaining in the first half, it was down by one point. The Lady Commodores started to settle down with an 11-0 run to take a 17-7 lead. Besides that run, the characteristic spurts that defined Gulf Coast’s 26-3 season were absent. Freshman sharpshooter Janae’ Stokes struggled all game from behind the 3-point line, shooting 3 for 12 from behind the arc, including 1 for 5 in the first half. She finished with nine points. Gulf Coast struggled to extend its lead as Scovel shuffled lineups to find the right fit due to Santa Fe’s zone defense. The Lady Saints neutralized the Lady Commodores fast break by retreating quickly on defense after shots. It showed on the rebounding totals, as Gulf Coast had 20 more than Santa Fe. Slow, low-scoring games were Gulf Coast’s vice all season and up by only three at halftime, the Lady Commodores were narrowly avoiding the possibility of being eliminated after one game. At halftime, Scovel told her team it was fortunate to be playing poorly and still have a three-point lead. Either the nerves disappeared or Scovel’s halftime talk lit a fire under them, but Lady Commodores found a spark in the second half. Jasmine Brown, who Scovel played in place of Shanea Cotton, finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. “I think she was a more physical presence,” Scovel said of Brown. Cotton logged less than a minute in the second half, and finished with six points in the game. The Lady Commodores also got points from freshman Jackie Sanders, who hit two straight 3-pointers midway through the second half to extend Gulf Coast’s lead to 10. “It wasn’t a pretty game, but we’re moving on,” Scovel said.
News Herald Article        FCCAA Tournament Bracket

March 6, 2007
GCCC WANTS TO SUCCEED CHIPOLA
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - This week’s Florida junior college women’s basketball state tournament in Marianna might need a few extra sets of backup nets. The tournament, which begins Wednesday, will feature 16 of the state’s Top 25 scorers from eight different teams. Games begin at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center on the campus of Chipola College with Southern Conference champion Indian River against Mid-Florida runner-up Seminole. For the 10th straight year, Gulf Coast enters the state tournament as the Panhandle Conference champion and has the best record of the eight teams at 25-3. Its first game will be against Santa Fe from the Mid-Florida Conference at 3 p.m. Wednesday. In the last two state tournaments, the Lady Commodores lost to Chipola in the finals. They finished the regular season on a nine-game winning streak, and two of their three losses came against the other two Panhandle Conference representatives, Chipola and Tallahassee. After the quarterfinal round, the women have Thursday off before returning to Chipola on Friday for the semifinals. The finals are Saturday at 5 p.m. Three teams from the Panhandle Conference, including league champion Gulf Coast will vie for a spot in the NJCAA national tournament. The Mid-Florida Conference also has three entries.
News Herald Article        FCCAA Tournament Bracket

February 28, 2007
LADY COMMODORES NAB 5 CONFERENCE SELECTIONS
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Three days after securing its 10th straight conference title, Gulf Coast landed five women on the All-Panhandle Conference team chosen by the coaches and released Tuesday. Temple-bound Shanea Cotton led the Lady Commodores’ contingent with a first-team selection and player of the year honors. Cotton was the backbone for a young Gulf Coast squad that went 25-3. She averaged 14.1 points and 8.3 rebounds. Joining Cotton on the first team was freshman of the year Jasmine Brown. Coming off the bench, Brown averaged 12.5 points and had a career-high 27 on Jan. 31. Sharpshooter Janae’ Stokes was the third Lady Commodore on the 12-member first team. The freshman led Gulf Coast in scoring at 14.4 ppg and was third in the state with a 36.8 3-point shooting percentage. Gulf Coast freshman Jackie Sanders and sophomore guard Dominic Cranford were named to the second team. Chipola, Tallahassee and Okaloosa-Walton each had five women named, and Pensacola had four. North Florida had three players named honorable mention.

First team Gulf Coast: Shanea Cotton, (player of the year), Jasmine Brown, (freshman of the year), Janae’ Stokes Chipola: Ra’Shawna Sippio, C.J. Pace Pensacola: Victoria Hunt, Gerica Johnson Tallahassee: Lisa Jackson, Erica Brown, Quaticqua Johnson OWC: Ashley Thrash-Murphy, Geami Britt Second team Gulf Coast: Jackie Sanders, Dominic Cranford Chipola: Crystal Campbell, Latoya Brown, Gekeela Clemmons Tallahassee: Angelee Latouche, Samerria Crowder. OWC: Andrea Kelly, Jennifer Williams, LaShandra McCoy Pensacola: Tateshia Page, Kristian Diggs. Honorable Mention — Pensacola: Jessica Young, North Florida: Monica James, Dione’shia Dunbar, VeYaun Lawyer.

February 25, 2007
LADY COMMODORES CLAIM 10TH CONSECUTIVE TITLE
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Okaloosa-Walton didn’t care if Saturday night was Sophomore Night at Gulf Coast. The Lady Raiders had upset in their eyes and for good reason. They were playing for the third berth in the state tournament and a win would have helped secure that. But the Lady Commodores had the spotlight during pregame festivities and kept it throughout their 65-48 win at Billy Harrison Field House. The win gave Gulf Coast (25-3 overall, 13-2 PC) its 10th straight Panhandle Conference title and knocked OWC (18-10, 8-7) out of the state tournament picture. “That’s a great accomplishment,” Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel said. All 10 have been won outright by the Lady Commodores. On Sophomore Night, a sophomore shined. In front of her mother, grandmother and brother, Shanea Cotton scored seven of the Lady Commodores first nine points, and finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Two freshmen supported her. Dee Liles added 13 points and Alexis Givands scored 11. In spite of Cotton’s success in the first half, the Lady Raiders’ upset was brewing. And the Lady Commodores’ 0 for 12 performance in the first half from behind the 3-point arc didn’t help. Gulf Coast took an early 11-4 lead before OWC came back behind Andrea Kelly, who finished with 14 points. Jamilla Bonner added 11. The freshman guard had back-toback 3-pointers to give OWC a 17-16 lead. It would stay close until the second half. It was then that Gulf Coast turned up its defensive pressure. Seven times on Saturday, the Lady Commodores forced the Lady Raiders to shoot with less than seven seconds on the 35-second shot. “We have learned that our defense has to turn up when we’re not shooting well,” Scovel said. Behind sophomore Nikki Jackson, who committed to play basketball at Barry next season, the Lady Commodores extended their lead. They took a 33-26 advantage off a Janae’ Stokes 3-pointer with 17:10 left in the game and then used a 12-0 run to go ahead 50-34. After OWC scored five unanswered points, Gulf Coast went on a 12-1 run to seal the win. “Defense makes us win games like this,” Scovel said. “Hats off to our defense.”
News Herald Article

February 22, 2007
GC WOMEN STILL ATOP STANDINGS
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Gulf Coast turned a narrow halftime advantage into a 94-60 win against Pensacola Junior College on Wednesday night behind the hot hand of Shimica Boular. The freshman scored a career high 22 points including six 3-pointers. “She was kind of signed to be a 3-point shooter,” coach Roonie Scovel said. “Hopefully this isn’t a one game thing. Maybe she’s gaining some momentum. We can really use for her to do that.” Up 39-32 at the break, the Lady Commodores were able to stretch their lead in the second half with their patented fast break. “We got off to an early start in the second half and got going pretty well,” Scovel said. Gulf Coast struggled out of the gate. Scovel said her team didn’t play aggressively on defense, and it showed. The Lady Commodores committed 10 first-half fouls compared to PJC’s three. But, Scovel added, the Lady Pirates (12-17 overall, 2-12 Panhandle Conference), “did a very good job of executing their offense.” Gulf Coast (24-3, 12-2 PC) remained alone atop the league standings, and has clinched the top seed in the District VIII state tournament in early March. The Lady Commodores also guaranteed a co-Panhandle Conference championship with Chipola.
News Herald Article

February 18, 2007
GC WOMEN RALLEY PAST TALLAHASSEE
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Gulf Coast rallied from a 13-point first-half deficit to defeat Tallahassee, 79-63, Saturday in Panhandle Conference women’s basketball. The first-place Lady Commodores, 11-2, 23-3, used tenacious defensive pressure in the second half to send the Lady Eagles to 8-5 in the conference, 21-6 overall. Gulf Coast rallied within 39-33 at halftime, then scored the opening seven points of the second half for its first lead of the game. “We got way behind, but we just didn’t give up,” Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel said. “We had a little momentum going in at halftime and came back out and made a nice run early.” A 3-pointer by Janae’ Stokes, who scored all of her 20 points in the second half to overcome a subpar shooting effort, gave the Lady Commodores a 45-42 lead. They never trailed thereafter. Gulf Coast held Tallahassee to 32-percent shooting in the second half after the Lady Eagles had shot a blistering 16 for 28, 57.1 percent in the first half. They were outscored 46-24 after intermission. Scovel credited the Lady Commodores’ solid defense. “We did play well,” she said. “Actually, it wasn’t terrible in the first half, but they shot the ball so well.” Tallahassee led by as much as 27-14 before Gulf Coast regrouped. Stokes had six 3-pointers among her total, but was 7-27 from the field, including 0-9 in the first half. Demauria Liles added 12 points and Shanea Cotton 11 points and 10 rebounds. Erica Brown topped Tallahassee with 19 points and nine rebounds. Lisa Jackson had 13 points, Angelee Latouche 11 and Tierra Yates 10. Gulf Coast plays at Pensacola on Wednesday.
News Herald Article

February 15, 2007
TAKING THE LEAD
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Without Alexis Givands and Dee Liles on Wednesday night, Gulf Coast would be looking up at Chipola from second place in the Panhandle Conference standings. But the No. 7 Lady Commodores did have Liles and Givands, and after a 65-46 win over the No. 11 Lady Indians, they have sole possession of first place in the league. Gulf Coast improved to 10-2 in the league and 22-3 overall. Chipola is now 9-3 and 21-6 overall. The inside-outside duo of Liles and Givands combined for nearly half of Gulf Coast’s total. Liles had 15 points, but her intangibles in the tightly officiated game made the difference. The swing player posted up and played the wings throughout the game. Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel played Liles in a post position for most of the game because her usual front line wasn’t producing. Freshman Jackie Sanders struggled and didn’t score, Shanea Cotton scored six points and Kim Jones didn’t score either. “The more she plays in there, the better she’s going to get,” Scovel said of Liles. Givands played all but the last 40 seconds on Wednesday evening, when the game was decided. She scored 12 points and went to the freethrow line 14 times. “My hat’s off to Alexis,” Scovel said after the win. The Lady Commodores couldn’t find their rhythm in the first half. They went without a field goal for a stretch of 5:13, but still maintained a nine-point lead at the break.
News Herald Article

February 11, 2007
GULF COAST WOMEN ROUT NORTH FLORIDA
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Gulf Coast started fast Saturday afternoon against North Florida Community College, and the Lady Commodores finished even faster in a 108-47 win. “Everything was kinda clicking,” coach Roonie Scovel said. “We played with a lot of confidence. It was a pretty easy victory.” Gulf Coast allowed only 15 points in the first half, and took an early 24-2 lead before doubling its scoring output from Wednesday night against Okaloosa-Walton. Janae’ Stokes hit five 3-pointers to lead the Lady Commodores (21-3, 9-2 Panhandle Conference) with 22 points. Jasmine Brown had 18 points, Shanea Cotton 15, Shari Steele (Molsey) 11 and Alexis Givands 10.
News Herald Article

February 8, 2007
DEFENSE HELPS LADY COMMODORES TO 20TH WIN
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - The first four minutes of Wednesday’s Gulf Coast and Okaloosa-Walton game set a slow pace and the final read like one of the Lady Commodores’ halftime scores. The No. 8 Lady Commodores and No. 18 Lady Raiders struggled to score throughout as both squads registered their lowest point total of the season in a 54-33 Gulf Coast win. “Both teams played pretty good defense,” Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel said. “Neither team was performing very well offensively. We played real well defensively.” With the win, GCCC remained in a two-way tie with Chipola atop the Panhandle Conference standings at 8-2, and is 20-3 overall. In its last game without suspended players as a result from a Jan. 27 brawl, OWC fell to 16-6 overall, 6-4 in the PC. “Yeah, I thought that made a difference,” Scovel said of OWC’s suspensions. Only six Lady Commodores scored, led by Jasmine Brown’s 25 points. The next-highest scorer was Shanea Cotton with eight. “Our inside game, I thought, was the difference,” Scovel said. “Our inside presence made some good plays when it was needed.” Jamilia Bonner had 11 points and Jeami Britt (Graceville) had 10 for the Lady Raiders.
News Herald Article

February 4, 2007
GC WOMEN OVERCOME ILLS FOR VICTORY
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Missing five players, Tallahassee didn’t make it easy for Gulf Coast Saturday night at Billy Harrison Field House. Illness and injuries didn’t make easy for the Lady Commodores, either. The Lady Commodores had only one of their typical game-changing runs and struggled from the field although still winning handily, 75-50. Tallahassee had only one substitute as a result of suspensions relating to a brawl last weekend with Okaloosa-Walton. But the Lady Commodores couldn’t take control like they’ve been accustomed to doing in recent games, in part because Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel didn’t press on Saturday. “I didn’t see the need to do that,” she said. Scovel expected the Lady Commodores to outlast the Lady Eagles with their conditioning, but Tallahassee remained competitive for much of the game despite its shortened roster. “They still had a pretty good team out there,” Scovel said. “They still had pretty nice game.” With the win, Gulf Coast (19-3, 7-2 Panhandle) remained atop the Panhandle Conference standings with Chipola while Tallahassee (19-4, 6-3) fell into a second-place tie with Okaloosa-Walton. Tallahassee used a zone to neutralize Gulf Coast’s inside presence and forced the Lady Commodores to shoot more from the outside. In their last four conference wins, the Lady Commodores won by an average of 49 points. Shanea Cotton, shrugged off an illness to lead Gulf Coast with 20 points and nine rebounds. Freshman Jackie Sanders had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman Jasmine Brown didn’t play because she began feeling ill during the week.
News Herald Article

February 1, 2007
GCCC WOMEN ROUT PENSACOLA
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - The first eight minutes of Wednesday night’s Gulf Coast vs. Pensacola game were a tease for the Lady Pirates. They were within a basket with 12:35 left in the first half and it looked like Pensacola would avoid another blowout. Then reality set in. Actually, Jasmine Brown set in. The freshman scored a career-high 27 points and had eight rebounds to lead the Lady Commodores in a 103-40 win over the Lady Pirates at the Billy Harrison Field House. Gulf Coast used three large runs to improve to 18-3 overall and 6-2 in the Panhandle Conference. Pensacola fell to 12-12 and 2-7. Gulf Coast won the first meeting 90-50 on Jan. 17. GC coach Roonie Scovel cited an early stretch for Wednesday’s big win. The Lady Commodores went on a 17-2 run during a span of 4 minutes and 2 seconds to take a 30-13 lead. By halftime they had scored 50 points for the sixth time. They finished with 100 for the first time.
News Herald Article

January 28, 2007
GCCC CRUISES TO VICTORY
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Gulf Coast used a 34-4 run to end the first half and matched its highest output of the season Saturday in a 99-37 Panhandle Conference women’s basketball win over North Florida at Billy Harrison Field House. Shanea Cotton led four Lady Commodores in double figures with 20 points. Jasmine Brown added 16 points and Kim Jones and Janae’ Stokes each had 10. Gulf Coast (17-3 overall, 5-2 conference) led 20-16 before the decisive run. During that stretch, North Florida (4-19, 0-8) didn’t score a field goal for 7 minutes, 17 seconds. The second half didn’t start much better for the Lady Sentinels. Gulf Coast held them without a field goal for the first 9:07 and went on a 29-5 tear to go ahead 84-25. Saturday was the second time this season Gulf Coast scored 99 points and the fifth time it totaled more than 50 in the first half. Point guard Dominic Cranford had nine assists and freshman Jackie Sanders had nine points and six rebounds.
News Herald Article

January 24, 2007
CHIPOLA TOPS LADY DORES
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - The Lady Commodores’ reign atop the Panhandle Conference standings was short lived. They took over first place after Saturday’s blowout win over Okaloosa-Walton, but couldn’t keep the momentum Tuesday at Chipola and fell 66-49. Gulf Coast dropped into a three-way tie for second place at 4-2 with Chipola and Tallahassee. Overall No. 6 GCCC is 16-3, while No. 22 Chipola is now 16-5. O-W leads with a 4-1 conference mark. Coach Roonie Scovel said Gulf Coast was playing catch up from the start. By halftime, the Lady Commodores were down 40-27. “We didn’t make a comeback,” she said. “We didn’t have an answer.”
News Herald Article

January 21, 2007
LADY COMMODORES CRUISE
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Coach Roonie Scovel didn’t necessarily think so, but it was clear to many that the muscles of the Panhandle Conference were flexed Saturday night at Billy Harrison Field House. And Scovel’s Lady Commodores looked like Ms. Universe. Gulf Coast, 16-2 and ranked No. 6 nationally, showcased its speed, defense and a deft shooting touch in a 90-59 win over No. 16 Okaloosa-Walton. What was anticipated as a tight matchup between two of the top Panhandle teams turned into a dominating performance by the Lady Commodores. The outcome left both schools tied for first place in the conference at 4-1. “I just felt we played very well in the first half,” Scovel said. “We played with a lot of confidence. This was the best I’ve seen us play in the first half this season.”

Gulf Coast led 10-2 before most of the 1,000 fans had settled in. When Jackie Sanders hit the second of her four 3-pointers with 10:39 left in the first half, Gulf Coast had a 19-point lead. In the first half, the Lady Commodores had scored 50 points for the fourth time this season. Sanders shot four for seven from behind the 3-point arc and had 16 points and seven rebounds. Gulf Coast handled OWC under the basket with a starting front line that included Dee Liles for the second straight game. Her addition gave Scovel three starters 6-foot-2 or taller. The Lady Raiders, 14-4, came into Panama City atop the conference standings, but Scovel said GC’s freshmen weren’t intimidated by the game’s stature. Freshman Jasmine Brown led all scorers with 20 points and Janae’ Stokes had 15.
News Herald Article

January 18, 2007
LADY COMMODORES REBOUND FROM LOSS
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - There are some teams that need time to rebound from a loss, and then there are others that play like it never happened. Gulf Coast was the latter on Wednesday night at Pensacola. Reeling from a loss to Tallahassee on Saturday, the No. 6 Lady Commodores (15-2 overall, 3-1 Panhandle) came out hesitant but pulled away with a late run for a 90-50 win over the Lady Pirates. “We just had a 10-point lead at the half. The second half we just kinda made a run, played some nice basketball,” Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel said. “At the beginning of second half we maintained a 20-point lead. And just ran way with it.”
News Herald Article

January 14, 2007
TALLAHASSEE MAKES A POINT
NEWS HERALD (Eric Jorgensen) - If anyone needed evidence the Panhandle Conference women’s basketball race would be wide open and wildly competitive, they got it Saturday night when Tallahassee held on for a 66-65 victory over Gulf Coast in a battle of nationally ranked teams. It will probably be considered an upset in most circles. Gulf Coast was ranked fourth nationally and had dismantled No. 10 Chipola by 17 points just three days earlier. Tallahassee, while ranked 10th nationally, has never had much success against Gulf Coast — last beating the Lady Commodores during the Clinton administration. That’s nearly 10 years and 29 games between wins for the Lady Eagles. But it’s not an upset everywhere.
News Herald Article

January 11, 2007
LADY COMMODORES FLYING HIGH
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Jackie Sanders and the rest of Gulf Coast’s freshmen class heard what conference play was like, and they knew Chipola had ended the Lady Commodores’ last two seasons. It wasn’t until Wednesday night they truly experienced it. And oh how did Sanders experience it. In Gulf Coast’s second Panhandle Conference game, Sanders needed the first 20 minutes to settle her nerves. She then scored all of her 21 points in the second half in Gulf Coast’s 78-61 win over the Lady Indians at Billy Harrison Field House. “I thought the freshmen did great,” Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel said. “Especially Jackie Sanders’ play in the second half.” By then the No. 4 Lady Commodores (14-1, 2-0) had their second conference win under control. Ahead 34-22 at halftime, Gulf Coast built its lead as large as 23. The Lady Indians (13-4, 1-1) went on a 15-2 run midway through the second to pull within 57-48. That’s when Sanders rattled off seven straight points, including a 3-pointer as Gulf Coast extended the lead to 16. The Lady Commodores weren’t threatened after that. “We could have played better,” Sanders was quick to point out. It was the first time this season that her offensive production took over a game, however. She hit three 3-pointers in the second half and connected on all four of her free throws.
News Herald Article

January 10, 2007
WOMENS RACE TO FEATURE TOP TEAMS
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - In the rich history of Panhandle Conference women’s basketball, 2007 may be one of the best years ever. At least that’s what Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel thinks. With three teams ranked in the Top 12 nationally heading into the new year, the conference has established itself as one of the best leagues in junior college basketball. “I think it’s as good as it’s ever been. There are some real talented teams,” Scovel said. “The talent across the board is better than last year. It’s going to be a great challenge, a lot of fun, exciting for the fans. “Some exciting games, some real challenging games on a night-to-night basis.” Youth has become the story this year as Gulf Coast looks for its 10th straight conference crown, and Chipola looks to win its third consecutive state title and return to the national tournament. “I’m very grateful that we get three (conference) teams in the state tournament this year,” Chipola coach David Lane said. “It would be a travesty for the two or three other teams that don’t get in. So it’s very deep and there’s a lot of talent.” Lane said the conference season will be nothing like anything the freshmen have experienced. “They’re getting an idea of what it’s like to play,” he said. “It’s not until you experience it ’till you really get an idea of what it’s like to play down here.” The conference schedule begins Saturday with Gulf Coast at North Florida at 1 p.m. CST. Pensacola is at Chipola at 5:30 p.m. and Okaloosa-Walton at Tallahassee at 4:30 p.m. Gulf Coast: Despite a new batch of eight freshmen, the Lady Commodores haven’t missed a beat. In fact, they may be better than the team that finished second in the state a year ago. This season’s bench is the deepest Scovel said she’s had, and a 12-1 record and No. 4 ranking heading into the year are proving her right. Anchored by the maturity of sophomores Shanea Cotton (14.6 ppg, 7.8 ppg) and point guard Nikki Jackson, Gulf Coast has been led by the skills of several freshmen. Janae’ Stokes is the conference’s leading scorer and third-ranked in the state with 15.5 points per game, and is the state’s top 3-point shooter. While she hovers around the 3-point line, Jackie Sanders is averaging 7.4 rebounds. But all that doesn’t add up to being a favorite, Scovel said. “I think the main goal is to try to qualify for postseason play,” she said. “The conference is too competitive to say we’re going to jump out and say” we’re the favorites. “I think we’re competitive. I couldn’t pick a favorite and wouldn’t pick us as a favorite.”

January 7, 2007
LADY COMMODORES CRUISE TO WIN
NEWS HERALD - The Gulf Coast women’s basketball team got a running start in the Panhandle Conference basketball race with an 81-32 win over North Florida on Saturday. Gulf Coast, 13-1 and ranked fourth in the nation, led 35-10 at halftime in a warmup for Wednesday’s conference home opener against Chipola College, ranked No. 8. Janae’ Stokes led the Lady Commodores with 15 points, Jackie Sanders had 13 and Shanea Cotton added 12. The win was Gulf Coast’s 11th straight. Coach Roonie Scovel said her defending conference champions didn’t shoot the ball well against the Sentinels (3-10, 0-1). “It was not a very polished game by either team,” Scovel said. “We didn’t shoot the long ball very well. There were spurts where we had the running game going.” Dione’shia Dunbar led North Florida with 14 points. Chipola (12-3) hosted Pensacola in its conference opener on Saturday. The Indians won the state tournament last year and finished third in the national tourney.
News Herald Article

December 31, 2006
GCCC GET THE BALL ROLLING
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Gulf Coast needed a few extra minutes to get its juices flowing Saturday. When they did, the points flowed, too. After scoring 21 points in the first 10 minutes, the Lady Commodores ended the half with 52 for the second straight game in a 95-56 win over Central Florida in the Gulf Coast New Year’s Classic at Billy Harrison Field House. Once again, the Gulf Coast’s (12-1) inside-outside play was the deciding factor. Janae’ Stokes hit five of Gulf Coast’s 10 3-pointers en route to 23 points and Jasmine Brown worked underneath for 19 points and five rebounds. Brown’s presence on both ends of the court impressed GC coach Roonie Scovel. “She’s just so strong and physical and so quick,” Scovel said. “She’s really hard to defend. She is not your typical post player.” Gulf Coast trailed 8-6 early when Brown made three straight layups to give the Lady Commodores a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The 6-foot-2 freshman scored in bunches, with the six early points and nine during a stretch of 3 minutes, 45 seconds in the second half. “She’s always near the ball, and if she gets close to it she just brings it in,” Scovel said. “It’s like her wingspan is about 8-feet long when there’s a rebound. Sometimes she amazes me with the rebounds that she gets.”
News Herald Article

December 30, 2006
LADY COMMODORES SHOW NO RUST
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Twenty days off didn’t slow the Gulf Coast Lady Commodores one bit Friday night against Daytona Beach. They sprinted to an early 11-2 lead and scored 52 points in the first half of their 91-58 win in the Gulf Coast New Year’s Classic at Billy Harrison Field House. Early on, however, the Falcons made the Lady Commodores sweat. Daytona Beach’s Rhonda Harris scored eight straight points to bring the Falcons (12-3) within seven. Less than a minute later, Janine Ward hit a jump shot to cut Daytona Beach’s deficit to 25-19, and even though that’d be the closest it got, GCCC coach Roonie Scovel thought her squad had played sloppy. “I think they got off to a slow start, and then we came down and had three or four possessions where we turned the ball over and did some crazy stuff, and they made some nice shots,” Scovel said. Gulf Coast (11-1) went on a 15-3 run that started to put the game away at 40-24 with three minutes, 36 seconds left in the first half. “To come back after being off for so long, I would say that was a pretty good effort,” Scovel said. Concerned about fatigue, Scovel went to her bench often and used every player.
News Herald Article

December 10, 2006
LADY COMMODORES DOUBLE UP FOR 10TH VICTORY
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Jasmine Brown scored 18 points to lead a trio of Gulf Coast Community College women in double figures, as the No. 4 Lady Commodores beat Georgia Perimeter 75-49 on Saturday at Billy Harrison Field House. Janae’ Stokes and Shanea Cotton each added 13 for Gulf Coast, which won its 10th game of the season, having lost only once. Cotton scored 11 of her points in the first half when the Lady Commodores raced to a 36-19 lead. Brown had six points in the first half. Stokes hit three 3-pointers to lead Gulf Coast’s outside shooting. Nine Lady Commodore players scored in the contest. In addition to the three double-figure scorers, Gulf Coast had four additional players with six or more points. The Lady Commodores had a good night from the free throw line, hitting 11 of 12 shots. Gulf Coast doesn’t play again until Dec. 29 when they host the Gulf Coast New Year’s Classic.
News Herald Article

December 9, 2006
LADY COMMODORES DEFEAT VINCENNES
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Little sleep and lots of studying didn’t deter Gulf Coast on Friday night. In the midst of finals week, the No. 4 Lady Commodores educated Vincennes University in pressure defense and the fast break during a 99-43 win at Billy Harrison Field House. It was their second 99-point performance of the season, the first coming two weeks ago against Chattahoochee Valley. The first four minutes were sluggish by Gulf Coast standards. With 15:42 left in the first half, the Lady Commodores were ahead 11-9. Then they went on a 27-5 run, which included a 15-1 stretch to put them ahead 38-14. Class was in session. Gulf Coast (9-1) cracked down on defense, holding Vincennes (5-7) without a field goal for 10:36. During that time, the Lady Commodores put on a layup demonstration, with 9 of 11 field goals coming from inside. “We was feeling it tonight,” freshman forward Jasmine Brown said.
News Herald Article

December 8, 2006
LADY COMMODORES HOPE TO PASS THIS EXAM
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - After this weekend, it’s a little R&R for the Lady Commodores. But until Saturday evening, it’s all business around Gulf Coast. First comes final exams this afternoon and then at 7 p.m. comes Vincennes University, a small school from Indiana, in the Gulf Coast Lady Commodore Classic at Billy Harrison Field House. Then on Saturday at 2 p.m., for the second time this season, No. 4 Gulf Coast (8-1) will take on Georgia Perimeter (5-3). “There are young ladies that will have to take a final at 4 (p.m. today) and play at 7. Academics always come first,” coach Roonie Scovel said. “We emphasize academics so much every day, every week. We’re going to make the best of it. We did it last year and we’re going to do it this year and hope to play some pretty good basketball.” In the first game today, No. 15 Tallahassee Community College (10-1) takes on Georgia Perimeter at 5 p.m. On Saturday, TCC takes on Vincennes at noon. After this weekend, the Lady Commodores won’t play again until Dec. 29. Scovel is giving her women nearly two weeks off from Dec. 13-26. “I think it’s going to be very challenging; there are good teams in this classic,” she said. “We’re hoping to do well and then take a Christmas break and take some time off.”

December 3, 2006
LADY COMMODORES BLOW OUT SEMINOLE
NEWS HERALD (Eric Jorgensen) - Janae’ Stokes scored 20 points to lead Gulf Coast past Seminole 81-48 in the final game of the Central Florida Classic on Saturday. “We got off to a good start. Our transitions were good, and our defense looked really good today,” said Lady Commodores coach Roonie Scovel. The victory raised Gulf Coast’s record to 8-1. The Lady Commodores are ranked second in the state and fifth nationally. Shanea Cotton added 17 points and Demauria Liles added 11 for Gulf Coast. Ten players scored for the Lady Commodores. Jackie Sanders was the team’s leading rebounder with seven. Dominic Cranford and Nikki Jackson each had four assists to lead Gulf Coast. Gulf Coast returns home for the Lady Commodore Classic on Friday and Saturday. The Lady Commodores play Vicncennes at 7 p.m. on Friday and Georgia Perimeter at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
News Herald Article

December 2, 2006
LADY COMMODORES DEFEAT CENTRAL FLORIDA
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner) - The Lady Commodores, playing in the Central Florida Classic in Ocala, blasted Central Florida 76-43. Dominic Cranford led the charge with 16 points as the Lady Commodores improved to 7-1 with the easy victory. Demauria Liles and Jasmine Brown had 14 points apiece for Gulf Coast. Gulf Coast extended its winning streak to five games. The Lady Commodores, ranked second in the state and fifth in the nation, play Seminole today at 2 p.m. CST.
News Herald Article

December 1, 2006
COMMODORES TO PARTICIPATE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA CLASSIC
The Gulf Coast Community College Commodore Womens Basketball team will participate in the Central Florida Classic this weekend (Dec 1-2). The Commodores will open up with Central Florida on Friday (12/1) at 9:00 pm (e) and Seminole on Saturday (12/2) at 3:00 pm (e). All games will be played on the campus of Central Florida Community College in Ocala, Florida.

November 26, 2006
GC WOMEN STILL IN ZONE
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Bishop State coach Elston Turner saw enough Friday night. He didn’t want his Lady Wildcats to be victimized by another near-100 point blitz by the Gulf Coast Lady Commodores. Turner got his wish. Instead of scoring 99 like they did Friday night, the Lady Commodores defeated Bishop State 83-45 in the second women’s game Saturday in the Panama City Toyota Classic. Gulf Coast improved to 6-1 and Bishop State fell to 5-4. In an attempt to slow the Lady Commodores’ explosive running game, Turner went to a zone defense and delay offense. It was the first time this young season Gulf Coast had faced a zone for an entire game, and coach Roonie Scovel was satisfied with the way her squad handled the new look. “That’s a really good effort,” she said. “They saw something different and played with some poise.” Despite the effort to keep the Lady Commodores out of the paint, Gulf Coast’s size overwhelmed the smaller Bishop State team. Freshman center Jasmine Brown led the Lady Commodores under the boards. The Drummonds, Tenn., product had seven rebounds and 11 points. But once again, Gulf Coast was led by the sharpshooting of Janae’ Stokes, who scored 24 points including 5 for 14 shooting from 3-point range. Shanea Cotton added 11 points with five rebounds and two blocks. While Bishop State did its part to stifle Gulf Coast’s offense, it also tried to melt the clock when it had the ball. Lady Wildcats’ guards would hold the ball after the inbounds pass and spend up to 15 seconds in the backcourt, trying to further limit the number of offensive opportunities by Gulf Coast. In women’s basketball, there is no 10-second backcourt clock or violation for over and back. Even though it diminished Gulf Coast scoring opportunities, Scovel applauded the strategy by Turner. “It was a good philosophy, good game plan,” she said. But Scovel was just as impressed that the Lady Commodores managed to score 83 points. Brown made five or her six attempts from the field and added a block. Scovel called her performance the “shining moment” of the win. “Jas Brown played real well for us,” Scovel said. “Probably her best effort.” Tallahassee Community College picked up its sixth straight victory, downing Chattahoochee Valley (Ala.) Community College 76-65 in the earlier women’s game Saturday. Erica Brown scored a game-high 22 points and Angelee Latouche scored 15 points with 10 rebounds to lead TCC (8-1) over the Lady Pirates. Samerria Crowder added 13 points for the Lady Eagles, ranked third in Florida and No. 21 in the nation. Dominque Sariano and Angel Rice each scored 16 points to lead CVCC.
News Herald Article

November 25, 2006
LADY COMMODORES RUN WILD
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - The Gulf Coast Lady Commodores came out running Friday night and kept on running until Chattahoochee Valley Community College nearly was out of the Billy Harrison Field House. Runs of 11-0, 10-0, 14-3 and 14-0 helped put the Lady Pirates away, 99-39, in Gulf Coast’s home opener in the Panama City Toyota Classic. “I was very pleased with our overall effort,” Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel said. And well she should have been. Three Lady Commodores scored in double figures, led by sharpshooter Janae’ Stokes’ 17 points. The freshman scored all her field goals on 3-pointers and added two free throws. With just under five minutes left in the first half, Stokes hit consecutive 3s to put the Lady Commodores (5-1) up 26 points. They finished the first half ahead 48-18. Scovel said Friday night was a demonstration of every player on the roster fulfilling their specific roles. Temple-signee Shanea Cotton scored 16 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds in addition to three blocks. Even with 10 team steals, Scovel said there was room for improvement. “The defense has got to get better,” she said. A swarming defense stifled the Lady Pirates into visible frustration, and initiated the Lady Commodores’ fast-break offense. Even with the 60-point win, Scovel assured there were more fast-break opportunities Gulf Coast could have capitalized on. All 12 Lady Commodores scored. Freshman Jackie Sanders added 12 points and five rebounds, but struggled from outside, shooting only 1 for 8 beyond the arc. Guard Nikki Jackson (Chipley) added two more 3-pointers and had eight points to go along with three assists. Backcourt mate Dominic Cranford added seven points, three steals and three assists. Making their debut at home, the much-heralded freshmen didn’t disappoint. Neither did sophomore Shari Steele (Mosley), who received the loudest cheers when she entered the game. Steele finished with two points and an assist. “They looked like they were comfortable,” Scovel said. In the earlier women’s game, Tallahassee overpowered Bishop State (Ala.) 72-53. Lisa Jackson led TCC (7-1) with 22 points. Tallahassee meets Chattahoochee at 1 p.m. today while Bishop State plays Gulf Coast at 5 p.m.
News Herald Article

November 22, 2006
LADY COMMODORES IN TOYOTA TOURNEY
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Scour the Lady Commodores’ stat sheet and it’s clear they save their best work for the final 20 minutes. The reason why is more important to Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel. With a competent rotation of 10 players for the first time in her career, Scovel has been able to divide playing time equally, and if needed substitute five at a time. That consistently gives the Lady Commodores fresh legs off the bench late in games. “I’ve never had depth at each position,” she said. “It’s difficult for me to get used to it.” But Scovel isn’t used to struggling throughout the first half, even though Gulf Coast has forged a 4-1 record. She doesn’t know why the Lady Commodores have established themselves as a second-half team. She wondered on Tuesday if she was to blame. This weekend, when Gulf Coast hosts Chattahoochee Valley on Friday at 5 p.m. and Bishop State on Saturday at 5 p.m., Scovel will see if road games are to blame for the slow starts.

The Panama City Toyota Classic this weekend will be the Lady Commodores first games at Billy Harrison Field House, and Scovel said it couldn’t have come at a better time for her freshmen. She said it’s been tough for her newcomers to start their first season on the road for five straight games. While they’ll be enjoying a more familiar routine, the Lady Commodores also will be focused on the athleticism of both teams they’ll face.
News Herald Article

November 19, 2006
GULF COAST EARNS ROAD VICTORY
An average first half didn’t slow the Lady Commodores Saturday afternoon in Decatur, Ga. Gulf Coast outscored Georgia Perimeter College 42-24 in the second half en route to a 79-58 win on the road. “It’s tough to come on the road, play in their gym and get comfortable,” said Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel. But the Lady Commodores were able to do it. Paced by Janae’ Stokes’ 28 points, which included six 3-pointers, Gulf Coast improved to 4-1, and the Jaguars fell to 2-2. Shanea Cotton added 10 points for the Lady Commodores. The first stanza was marred by strong inside play by Georgia Perimeter, but Gulf Coast came out tough in the second half. GC increased the defensive pressure and limited the Jaguars scoring chances, according to Scovel. “It’s just hard to do. We’re very fortunate to come away with a 21-point win,” Scovel added. "This is a great win for us.” Gulf Coast plays Chattahoochee Valley (Ala.) on Friday at 5 p.m. in the Panama City Toyota Classic in the Billy Harrison Field House. Georgia Perimeter plays Gulf Coast again on Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. in Panama City. The Jaguars are 1-2 against Panhandle Conference teams. They beat Pensacola 84-71, but lost to Tallahassee 71-58.
News Herald Article

November 12, 2006
LADY COMMODORES STUN DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
The Gulf Coast women’s basketball team rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to beat Monroe Community College, the defending national champion, 58-54 on Saturday in a 10-school tournament hosted by Chipola College. Alexis Givands led Gulf Coast with 14 points, Jackie Sanders had 11 and Shimica Boular had 10. “We shot so poorly in the first half. There was no enthusiasm. We just stood around,” Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel said. “We had a lot better effort in the second half.” Gulf Coast trailed 31-15 at intermission. “We turned the defense up a little (in the second half),” Scovel said. “It’s a good victory for us.” Even though late free throws helped the Lady Commodores hold off the Tribunes, Gulf Coast still had trouble at the line. GC was 11 for 29 against Monroe. “I didn’t think we could shoot worse than we did last night,” said Scovel. GC made just 14 of 31 in a 57-54 loss to Southeast Illinois on Friday night. Gulf Coast (3-1) plays Georgia Perimeter next Saturday in Atlanta.
News Herald Article

November 11, 2006
GCCC WOMEN FALL TO SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS
The Gulf Coast women’s basketball team was extended for the first time this young season, and fell 57-54 to nationally ranked Southeast Illinois Friday in a 10-school women’s basketball tournament hosted by Chipola. Gulf Coast, 2-1, had a final possession with 3.2 seconds remaining while trailing by two points. An errant pass led to a desperation foul, one successful free throw and long downcourt heave at the buzzer. “We were 14 for 31 from the free-throw line,” GC coach Roonie Scovel said. “That kind of tells the story.” The Lady Commodores meet another difficult challenge in defending national champion Monroe at 6 p.m. today.
News Herald Article

November 10, 2006
LADY COMMDORES TO PLAY IN CHIPOLA TOURNEY
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - The Gulf Coast Lady Commodores head to the Chipola Tournament this weekend, and look to pick up where they left off two weeks ago. Tonight, No. 1 Gulf Coast (2-0) takes on Southeast Illinois College at 6 p.m., and on Saturday the Lady Commodores play Monroe Community College again at 6 in Marianna. At the Tallahassee Tournament last week, the Lady Commodores started the 2006-07 season with a splash, winning both their games by an average of 58 points, including a 77-point win over Enterprise-Ozark. Their dominating weekend propelled the Lady Commodores to first in the FCCAA coaches poll.

November 8, 2006
GC ATHLETES MAKE COMMITMENTS
The first step to the next level is expected to begin today for several Gulf Coast Community College softball, baseball, and womens basketball players. In softball, shortstop Amanda Bailey, pitcher Sarah Dooley and outfielder Saskia Kosterink are expected to sign with Division I programs. In baseball, pitchers Devin Copley and Beau Pender, infielder Cory Trudell and outfielder/infielder Jordan Karcher, also are excited to sign with top four-year programs. In Womens Basketball, Shanea Cotton and Janinne Thomas will move on to four-year schools as well.
News Herald Article

November 3, 2006
LADY COMMDORES TROUNCE MAIMI DADE
Shanea Cotton led all scorers with 24 points on Thursday, pacing the Gulf Coast Community College women’s basketball team to an 87-48 victory over Miami Dade in the final day of the Wing Zone Tip-off Classic. Cotton notched 11 field goals in leading four Lady Commodores in double figures. Janae’ Stokes scored 13, Jasmine Brown 12 and Shimica Boular 11 for Gulf Coast, which improved to 2-0. Shantavia Hampton led Miami Dade (0-2) with 13 points. Stacy Young chipped in 11 points. The Lady Commodores play in the Milton H. Johnson Classic at Chipola College today and Saturday. Gulf Coast faces Southeastern Illinois today and Monroe on Saturday. Both of those games are set for a 6 p.m. tipoff.
News Herald Article

November 2, 2006
LADY COMMDORES CRUISE IN OPENER
Gulf Coast opened its women’s basketball season with an easy 106-29 win over Enterprise State Community College on Wednesday in the Wing Zone Tip-off Classic at the Eagledome at Tallahassee Community College. The Lady Commodores, ranked second in the state and sixth nationally, placed three players in double figures and led 44-16 at halftime. Gulf Coast sophomore Shanea Cotton led with 28 points while freshmen Janae’ Stokes and Jasmine Brown scored 21 and 19 points respectively in their first game for the Lady Commodores. “We played a lot of people. It was a good first game,” Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel said. Kara Hunter led Enterprise State with 12 points on four 3-pointers. The Lady Commodores face Miami Dade today in Tallahassee at 3 p.m. CST.
News Herald Article

November 1, 2006
LADY COMMODORES UNVEIL MAKEOVER
Off the court, the Gulf Coast Lady Commodores already have reached their potential. It’s in between the lines that has women’s basketball coach Roonie Scovel concerned. Since nine freshmen migrated to Billy Harrison Field House they’ve become family with the few holdovers on the team. It didn’t take long for the group to bond, according to sophomore Shanea Cotton, and now they do everything as a unit. “We’re our only friends,” sophomore Nikki Jackson said. On the court, though, it may be a different story.
News Herald Article

October 15, 2006
TRADITION REVISITED
Some of the kids that Tashia Morehead coaches at a Gainesville Boys and Girls Club remember her as a Florida Gator. Everyone in the Billy Harrison Field House remembered her as a Gulf Coast Lady Commodore Saturday night. In the second annual Gulf Coast women’s basketball alumni game, Morehead led a team of seven former Commodores back to Panama City against the 2006-07 version. Despite a wealth of knowledge and experience, the “Throwbacks,” as they were called, fell to younger legs 81-61.

“It’s always good to come back to the old stomping grounds, come back and see all the players that came before you and played with you,” Morehead said. “It’s good to have fun and see all the Gulf Coast alumni and the current team.” Morehead, a 2003 Kodak All-American and MVP of the NJCAA national tournament, was joined by fellow 2003 All-American Taneshiea Thompson as well as Taneshia Moore, Isha Little Stewart, Marla Harrell, Whitney Linton and a college teammate of Roper, Tabitha Vasilas. But all the fanfare was for Morehead, a former Gator. She finished with 13 points and did everything on the court but hit a 3-pointer. But Morehead didn’t think she played too well. “Awful, awful. I played awful, but I had fun,” she said. “I don’t play like I used to. I play recreationally time to time, and it showed, as you can see.” Morehead looked back at her time at Gulf Coast and said it helped her succeed off and on the court, which included a training camp stint with the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. Roper tied Morehead for team high among the former Commodores with 13, but Vasilas led the Throwbacks with 15.

But it was current Commodore Janae’ Stokes who stole the show. The freshman from Vidalia, Ga., hit six 3-pointers en route to 38 points on the night. “The highlight of the evening was probably Janae’ Stokes’ shooting,” said Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel. “That’s a great first night for a shooter.” Six-foot-three sophomore Shanea Cotton added 11 points for the young squad. Nine of the roster’s 14 players are freshmen, and it showed throughout the evening.

“I thought it was a good game — good test for us,” Scovel said. “We got tired. It was our first time with officials. We kind of had some conditioning issues and had a lot of turnovers. But I was pretty pleased with some things I saw.” Including Morehead and Thompson. “They’re just great players and great people,” Scovel said. “We appreciate those young ladies coming back and helping us get ready for the season.”

September 27, 2006
LADY COMMODORES TO HOST ALUMNI GAME
The Lady Commodores will host an alumni/scrimmage on October 14, 2006 at 6:00 pm. Some former players will be returning to challenge the new 2006-07 squad. Those who are expected to return are Tashia Morehead, Taneshiea Thompson, Tasha Phillips, Tracy Jacobs, Isha Little, Anedra Gilmore, Leah Roper, Carol Smith, Vernette Skeete, Marla Harrell, Milan Cary, Dovile Gulbinaite, and possibly Binky Martello. There may be a few more that will hopefully join the alumni team. Cost for the event is $4 for adults and $2 for children.

March 16, 2006
SCOVAL - REBORN WITH MORE FIRE
Rumblings had arisen in recent months that Roonie Scovel was nearing the end of her tenure as head coach of the Gulf Coast’s women’s basketball program. Sitting on 300 victories in her nine-year stint at GCCC, Scovel acknowledged Wednesday that thoughts of that nature had crossed her mind more than a few times. Following last Saturday’s frustrating defeat in the FCCAA state tournament title game, one could envision a scenario where Scovel’s disappointment could hasten her departure from the school. She has news for you!
News Herald Article

March 12, 2006
CHIPOLA STUNS LADY COMMODORES
Gulf Coast learned what it takes to win a state championship Saturday night. It took a loss, however, for it to sink in. Chipola used a bullish defense down the stretch to force overtime, and the Lady Indians made all the important plays necessary to pull out a 73-69 victory over Gulf Coast in the FCCAA state championship game at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center.
News Herald Article

March 11, 2006
SCOVAL NETS 300TH WIN IN COMMODORE VICTORY
Chipola women’s basketball coach David Lane congratulated Gulf Coast’s Roonie Scovel after she picked up her 300th victory Friday night. Then he asked her what many other coaches in the state have hoped for years. “Isn’t it time to retire?” Lane said. That answer is a resounding no, at least for one more night as Gulf Coast’s group of overachievers advanced to tonight’s FCCAA state championship with a 73-49 victory over Florida C.C.-Jacksonville in the state semifinals at Chipola College. The victory propelled the No. 6 Lady Commodores (29-3) into the finals against the winner of the late semifinal between defending state champion Chipola and Okaloosa-Walton. Either way, Gulf Coast with meet a Panhandle Conference opponent for the title at 7:30 p.m. at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center.
News Herald Article

March 10, 2006
QUICK STARTING COMMODORES POUND TITANS
Roonie Scovel wouldn’t deny that coaching victory No. 300 would mean a great deal to her if that milestone were reached tonight. Scovel picked up her 299th victory Thursday as Gulf Coast overpowered St. Petersburg 67-47 in the first round of the women’s FCCAA state basketball tournament in the Milton H. Johnson Health Center at Chipola College.
News Herald Article

March 3, 2006
LADY COMMODORES SELECTED ALL CONFERENCE
Juanita Ward, Travesha Jackson, and Monika Hilson were all selected to the All-Panhandle Conference Team. The Lady Commodores will next play in the State Junior College State Tournament in Marianna on the campus of Chipola College. Their first opponent will be St. Pete Junior College on Thursday, March 9 @ 4:00 pm. The semi-finals will be Friday, March 10 @ 4:00 pm and the Championship Game will be Saturday, March 11 @ 7:30 pm. All Commodore games will be broadcast live on WKGC-FM (90.7).
State Tournament Information

February 26, 2006
LADY COMMODORES EKE OUT 1 POINT VICTORY OVER OWC
It’s not going to get any easier from here. Gulf Coast survived at Okaloosa-Walton Saturday night when Tamela McCorvey’s 3-point effort misfired at the buzzer and gave the Lady Commodores a 69-68 victory in the teams’ final Panhandle Conference basketball games this season. The Lady Commodores (26-3, 14-1 Panhandle) won’t play again until March 9 when they begin the FCCAA state tournament at Chipola College in Marianna. GCCC enters as the Panhandle’s No. 1 seed, followed by second-seeded Chipola and No. 3 seed Okaloosa-Walton (19-7, 10-5).
News Herald Article

February 23, 2006
DEFENSE SPURS GCCC WOMEN
For all the offensive prowess the Gulf Coast women’s basketball team has exhibited over the years, the Lady Commodores’ defense has been the catalyst for much of the team’s success. Certainly, defense saved GCCC from a humbling defeat Wednesday night. Nikki Jackson sparked a game-changing 25-6 run that erased a 10-point deficit and powered the Lady Commodores to a 77-71 victory over Pensacola in Gulf Coast’s final game of the season at the Billy Harrison Field House.
News Herald Article

February 21, 2006
GCCC WOMEN TAKE CONFERENCE TITLE
What a disconcerting realization this must be for the rest of the Panhandle Conference. Gulf Coast accomplished what once may have been considered inconceivable Monday night, securing a ninth consecutive conference championship with a 75-54 victory over Tallahassee at the Billy Harrison Field House.
News Herald Article

February 19, 2006
GCCC WOMEN FALL TO CHIPOLA
Gulf Coast (23-3, 11-1 Panhandle) had its 17-game winning streak snapped and remains one victory shy of capturing its ninth straight Panhandle Conference championship.
News Herald Article

February 16, 2006
WHITE, GCCC CRUISE
Ranisha White turned in a modest performance Wednesday night in helping Gulf Coast move within one win of a ninth consecutive Panhandle Conference championship. White’s influence on the Lady Commodores, however, has been much more extensive than one 40-minute basketball game ever could indicate. White scored 10 points and was honored as the lone GCCC sophomore, and she was one of five Lady Commodores to score in double figures in a 99-59 victory over North Florida at the Billy Harrison Field House. “When you say sixth in the history of the program or 11th in the history of the program, you’re talking about pretty good company,” GCCC coach Roonie Scovel said. “She’s accomplished great things. She’s brought so much class to the program. We’re proud she’s a part of the program and proud of the accomplishments she’s made.” Gulf Coast improved to 24-2 overall and 11-0 in the conference. The Lady Commodores can clinch the conference championship with a victory at Chipola on Saturday. North Florida fell to 4-21 and 0-11. White, who has committed to West Virginia, sat out her first year at Gulf Coast after suffering a knee injury in an early season practice. Since her return to the court, she’s stockpiled the seventh-best rebounding total (460) in program history and ranks 11th with 683 career points. “She’s a good athlete,” Scovel said. “She faces up well. She brings a uniqueness as a post player in that she can post up and has some range from outside.” Scovel said that she and assistant coach Grover Hicks pressed White earlier this season to be a more vocal influence in the locker room, but they eventually relented and embraced her quiet, reserved nature. Certainly, Scovel said, she’s done something right in a Gulf Coast uniform. “Being the lone sophomore is a tough position to be in,” Scovel said. “We’re trying to achieve some things, and to be 11-0 in the conference says a lot about her being the lone sophomore. … She’s done the best she can with no help.”
News Herald Article

February 12, 2006
LADY COMMODORES TOP CONFERENCE FOE
Gulf Coast’s Trevesha Jackson is unheralded no more. Jackson keyed an important spurt in the first half, and she finished with a team-high 19 points to lead the fourth-ranked Lady Commodores to a 72-57 victory over Okaloosa-Walton at the Billy Harrison Field House Saturday night.
News Herald Article

February 9, 2006
GCCC WOMEN SURVIVE IN OVERTIME
Gulf Coast needed overtime to remain unbeaten in the Panhandle Conference, turning back stubborn Pensacola 80-77 Wednesday night in women’s junior college basketball. Despite having beaten the Pirates by 30 points in Panama City on Jan. 21, Lady Commodores coach Roonie Scovel was leery of PJC.
News Herald Article

February 5, 2006
GCCC WOMEN SNATCH WIN FROM TALLAHASSEE
Trevesha Jackson scored a team-high 20 points to lead four Gulf Coast players in double figures, and the fourth-ranked Lady Commodores turned back Tallahassee’s second-half rally in an 82-70 victory Saturday night at the Eagledome. Gulf Coast improved to 21-2 overall and 8-0 in the Panhandle Conference as the Lady Commodores surpassed the halfway point in the conference schedule.
News Herald Article

February 2, 2006
LADY COMMODORES DEFEAT CHIPOLA FOR SECOND TIME
A ninth consecutive Panhandle Conference title suddenly looks much more likely for the Gulf Coast women’s basketball team. The fourth-ranked Lady Commodores defeated defending state champion Chipola for the second time this season, posting a 98-95 victory over the Lady Indians in a foul-plagued contest at the Billy Harrison Field House.
News Herald Article

January 28, 2006
LADY COMMODORES CRUISE TO WIN
Gulf Coast, ranked fourth nationally, raced to a 52-16 halftime lead en route to an easy 93-46 Panhandle Conference win over North Florida on Saturday. The Lady Commodores remained unbeaten in the conference with a 6-0 mark. Shanea Cotton paced Gulf Coast with 17 points, Trevesha Jackson had 13, Dominic Cranford 12 and Ranisha White 10. Wikneka Gorsuch led North Florida with 12 points.
News Herald Article

January 26, 2006
LADY COMMODORES RALLY FOR VICTORY OVER OWC
Round 1 goes to the Lady Commodores. But Gulf Coast, ranked fourth in the country, had to rally from a first-half knockdown at Okaloosa-Walton on Wednesday night to complete a sweep of its five Panhandle Conference rivals. Gulf Coast rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to beat Okaloosa-Walton CC 63-52.
News Herald Article

January 22, 2006
LADY COMMODORES DEFEAT LADY PIRATES
The Lady Commodores improved to 17-2 overall and remained in first place in the conference with a 4-0 mark. Pensacola hasn’t picked up their first conference victory through four Panhandle contests, and slipped to 12-7 overall.
News Herald Article

January 19, 2006
LADY COMMODORES ALONE IN FIRST PLACE
Tallahassee wanted a breakneck pace and got it Wednesday night. The Lady Eagles wanted to pound away at Gulf Coast inside, and GCCC allowed them to do that too. Not that it made much difference on the scoreboard. Gulf Coast ran its eight-year winning streak against Tallahassee to 27, flicking away the Lady Eagles’ best punch in a 92-58 victory in a women’s Panhandle Conference basketball game at the Billy Harrison Field House.
News Herald Article

January 18, 2006
LADY COMMODORES HOST TALLAHASSEE
The Gulf Coast women’s and men’s basketball teams host Tallahassee tonight in Panhandle Conference contests at the Billy Harrison Field House. The Women play at 5:30 pm and the Men play at 7:30 pm. Both games will be broadcast on WKGC-FM/AM.
News Herald Article

January 15, 2006
LADY COMMODORES EDGE CHIPOLA IN A TOUGH ONE
Juanita Ward and Trevesha Jackson powered seventh-ranked Gulf Coast offensively, and the Lady Commodores’ defense was downright stifling in a 58-55 victory over No. 2 Chipola at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center.
News Herald Article

January 12, 2006
LADY COMMODORES CRUISE PAST NORTH FLORIDA
Ignorance truly was bliss Wednesday night at the Billy Harrison Field House. Gulf Coast’s freshman-laden roster treated North Florida like any other opponent, and the Lady Commodores turned in a performance for the record books as they posted a 133-56 drubbing on the Lady Sentinels in a Panhandle Conference women’s basketball game.
News Herald Article

January 11, 2006
PANHANDLE SHOOTOUT EXPECTED
The Panhandle Conference men’s and women’s schedules begin tonight. Gulf Coast hosts North Florida in a women’s game at 5:30 p.m. Chipola’s men’s and women’s teams travel to Pensacola, and Tallahassee’s teams are headed to Okaloosa-Walton.
News Herald Article