By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, Ohio---Tatyana Reynolds (Rogers/Toledo, Ohio), a 5'8" sophomore guard for the Owens Community College women's basketball team, has signed a letter of intent to play at NCAA Division II West Virginia State University next year.
Reynolds will join another member of this year's Owens sophomore class at West Virginia State University in point guard Briana Williams (Stebbins/Dayton, Ohio), who signed several weeks ago.
"I am excited to get started at West Virginia State," Reynolds said. "I feel it is a good fit because the coaching style fits the way I play. I am thankful for the opportunity Owens gave me and would like to thank my family and friends for all the support."
This past season, Reynolds was one of the team's most improved players. After averaging 5.3 points and 1.4 rebounds per game off the bench as a freshman, she started 34 of 36 games and poured in 10.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game as a sophomore. She scored in double figures 17 times, including a career-high 21 points twice. The second time came in her team's final game in which she went 7-for-13 from the field, including a 5-for-6 performance from 3-point range to help Owens finish fifth in the nation.
In Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) play, Reynolds averaged 12.7 points, 2.5 points and 2.9 assists per game. She finished 19th in the conference in scoring and was named Honorable Mention All-OCCAC.
Reynolds, who closed her two-year career with 568 points, 141 rebounds, 117 assists, 38 steals and eight blocks, becomes the fourth of five sophomores from this year's Owens women's basketball team to sign with a four-year school. Aside from the aformentioned signing of Williams, Lakyn Gulley (South Side/Fort Wayne, Ind.) previously signed with NCAA Division I Southeast Missouri State University, while Mikayla Ward (Huron/Ypsilanti, Mich.) signed with NCAA Division II Urbana University. The other, Kyra Johnson (Stevenson/Livonia, Mich.) will continue her academic career at a four-year school.
Reynolds also becomes the ninth member of the 2014-15 team to sign with a four-year school. That team finished third in the nation, which was the best finish in program history. Meanwhile, Owens women's basketball has now sent 17 players to four-year schools over the past four years. Among those 17, four have signed with NCAA Division I schools, 10 went to NCAA Division II schools and three went the NAIA route.
Furthermore, Reynolds was a member of the winningest sophomore class in program history that won a program record 63 games, while only losing nine over the past two seasons. They posted winning streaks of 33 and 17, won two OCCAC championships with a perfect 28-0 record and captured two Region XII District I championships. In postseason play, the team went 10-2 and made one NJCAA Final Four and one NJCAA Elite 8 appearance. Furthermore, they were part of a team that won a single season program record 34 games as freshmen, and they own two of the top three seasons in program history for most wins.
West Virginia State University, which competes in the Mountain East Conference, finished 13-16 overall last year, including a 10-12 mark in conference play. They will be led by Charles Marshall, who will be entering his first season at WVSU after spending three years at Glenville State College.
Notes
The Owens women's basketball program recently finished a 29-7 season that included the program's fourth straight Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) championship, a Region XII District I championship and a fifth place finish at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II National Tournament. The team advanced to the NJCAA Elite 8.
It was the program's second straight and third appearance in the past four years at the NJCAA Division II National Tournament, where they have recorded three top 10 finishes in the past 4 seasons (7th in 2012-13, 3rd in 2014-15 and 5th in 2015-16). In 2014-15, the team advanced to the NJCAA Division II Final 4. The team has also captured five of the past six OCCAC championships and three of the past four Region XII District I championships.
Furthermore, the program has won at least 25 games in each of the past seven seasons. During that time, the program has compiled a 195-37 record (.841 winning percentage), including an 81-9 record (.900 winning percentage) in OCCAC play.
Head coach Michael Llanas, who recently completed his 12th season at Owens, has compiled a 294-96 record during that time. Furthermore, he has achieved a 127-29 record in OCCAC play with six OCCAC championships.