RCSJ Gloucester women's basketball coach Rich Cooper is happy to see his team becoming healthy. While not everyone on the roster has returned 100 percent, freshman forward Trina Deveney-Bethea is one player who has made major strides -- and she is proving to be a difference maker.
Take Thursday evening's surprisingly easy 83-52 home triumph over a solid Northampton Community College in a Region XIX contest. While freshman guard Qeiajae Canty (Atlantic City) turned in her usual impressive performance with 25 points, it was Deveney-Bethea who provided solid support with 13 points and 10 important rebounds to help the Runners improve to 4-3 overall.
Her presence under the boards allowed teammates Nikita Acker (Triton) and Kylar Coughlin (Gloucester) to contribute as well with 11 points each while sophomore guard Mya Lewis (Cherry Hill West) added 8 points and guard Syra Bass chipped in with a timely 8 assists.
"Trina is overcoming a minor sprain, and she's coming back strong," said Coach Cooper of the former Cedar Creek High star. "You can see how she elevates everyone else's game. She's a difference maker when she's healthy."
The Runners dominated from start to finish, racing to a 17-9 first quarter lead and extending that margin to 43-23 at halftime. The entire lineup, including Deveney-Bethea simply -- who averaged 15.7 points and 12 rebounds per game as a Cedar Creek senior -- clicked well against the Spartans (3-3).
"I think we mesh really well, and the more practice and play together, the better our chemistry," said Deveney-Bethea. "I'm starting to recover from the sprain -- shooting wise, I had been a little week off my feet jumping and then also getting rebounding. But I'm definitely making progress."
Next up for the Roadrunners will be a road game against Ocean County College Saturday afternoon in another key Region XIX and Garden State Athletic conference battle.
GAME DAY PREVIEW
The Roadrunner women's basketball team will look to snap a two-game losing streak when they host Northampton Community College in a 7 pm start Thursday night.
Top scorers for Coach Rich Cooper's Runners include guard Qeiajae Canty (Atlantic City, 16.2 ppg), and forwards Nikita Acker (Triton Regional, 9.7 ppg) and Trina Deveney-Bethea (Cedar Creek, 12/5 ppg, 7 rebounds/game).
The Runners enter Thursday night's contest with a 3-3 overall record. They will face a Spartans team that enters the matchup with a 3-2 overall record and 1-1 within Region XIX.
Game Day information is below.
GAME DAY INFORMATION
RCSJ-Gloucester vs. Northampton CC
November 21, 2019, 5:00 pm
Hosted by:
Rowan College South Jersey, Gloucester
Deptford, NJ
Coaches:
Rich Cooper RCSJ Gloucester
Alyssa Bonnenberger, Northampton CC
Records:
Roadrunners: 3-3 overall, 2-1 Region
Northampton: 3-2 overall, 1-1 Region
Watch Live at RCRoadrunners.com
