Women's basketball has high hopes

By Jayden Hewitt
Staff Writer

The LCC women’s basketball season is underway, and with the start of the season comes high hopes.

Coach Layne Ingram has set the high expectations, and believes his team can live up to them.

“My expectations are to win and have a great year,” Ingram said. “We have four returning players who have a lot of on-court experience, and seven new kids with a lot of talent.”

The Stars had a season to forget in 2021-22. The team finished with a 6-22 record, and a 4-14 mark in the MCCAA Western Conference.

“Last year was a tough season, but the kids worked hard all year long to the end and that is going to help us this season,” Ingram said.

So far this season, LCC is 1-1. The Stars had an 80-41 win on Nov. 4 over the Olivet JV and a 60-47 loss to Jackson College on Nov. 5.

This year’s roster fields 11 players, including last year’s two leading scorers: forward Elysia Causley and guard Riley Merryfield.

“I'm hoping our two leading scorers from last year, Elysia and Riley, have great years,” Ingram said. “They work hard and compete, and should have great seasons.”

Other returnees from last season are guard Jasmine Goins and center Skyy Lockhart.

Along with the returning players, there are seven newcomers. Coach Ingram spoke about four of the key newcomers: forward Taylor Titus, guard Olivia Gean, guard/forward Shalyn Dziewiatkowski and guard/forward Alivia Densmore.

“We have two kids from Portland (Dziewiatkowski and Densmore) who won state championships their junior year,” Ingram said. “We've got a great hard worker out of Holt High School (Titus) and a sharpshooter point guard from Davison (Gean).”

Other newcomers for LCC are forward Ja’Mya Suttles, guard Blake Johnson and center Shelby Austin.

The coaching staff this year includes Ingram, as well as assistant coaches Megan Hudson and Tanaesha Daniels.

Coach Ingram emphasized that one specific aspect his team has tried to work on is discipline; looking for good shots and making good decisions with or without the basketball.

“I think we are more athletic, bigger and more talented than we've been in a couple years,” Ingram said. “I'm looking forward to that coming out on the court.”

LCC will start the season away from its LCC gym on campus until January due to renovations. The Stars will be playing home games at the Don Johnson Fieldhouse, located at 400 N. Pennsylvania Ave. in Lansing.

The Stars next game takes place tonight (Thursday, Nov. 10) at Grand Rapids Community College.

For more information on LCC’s schedule, click here.