By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Akron, Ohio---Cheyenne Brooks-Harris, a 6-0 forward from Hebron Lakewood (OH) High School, has signed with the Owens Community College women's basketball program.
Brooks-Harris joins Daichele Hatcher, a 5-4 point guard from Akron Buchtel (OH) High School, as one of the program's two recent signings. Both of them join Canton GlenOak (OH) signees Dai'Shona Washington-Polk and Da'Vina Shelton, who signed a couple months ago, in comprising what is so far a four-member recruiting class.
"Cheyenne is so athletic," said Owens women's basketball assistant coach Stephen Perry. "She can guard so many positions. She knows how to use angles and is very aggressive. She will be a big help on the defensive end and rebounding."
As a senior, Brooks-Harris was named Second Team All-Licking County League, Honorable Mention All-Newark Advocate and Division II Honorable Mention All-Central District. She led Lakewood it a school-record 18 wins, including its second straight district runner-up finish and its second straight Licking County League - Buckeye Division title.
As a junior, Brooks-Harris led Lakewood to a then school-record 17 wins, including its first league championship in over two decades and a district runner-up finish.
Interestingly, Brooks-Harris has eight brothers - Cameron, Caden, Devon, Payton, Weston, Brayden, Jarren and Marshall.
On top of that, Brooks-Harris will become the second player in program history from Hebron Lakewood - joining Gabbie Cerovski (2009-10).
NOTES
The Owens women's basketball team completed the first undefeated regular season in college history in 2016-17 before finishing with a 31-1 record. Their season ended with a loss to Cincinnati State in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Region XII District I championship game. Prior to that, though, the team completed its third straight perfect conference regular season and captured its fifth straight Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) championship en route to its undefeated regular season.
Furthermore, Owens produced a single season team record 11 games with at least 100 or more points. This year's team also broke six single season team records - fewest losses (1), 2-point FG percentage (50.5 percent), FT percentage (74.8 percent), steals (590), PPG (92.9) and PPG allowed (46.4). They tied the record for longest overall winning streak with 33 and extended the records for consecutive regular season wins to 44 and consecutive regular season conference wins to 51.
On top of that, as a team, Owens led the conference in total points (1,478), PPG (92.4), FG made per game (36.1), FG attempts per game (80.6), 3-point FGs made per game (7.1), 3-point FGs attempt per game (21.6), 3-point FG percentage (32.7), FT percentage (74.6), offensive rebounds per game (21.3), total rebounds per game (51.7), assists per game (22.3), steals per game (19.6), blocks per game (7.3), PPG allowed (46.0), opponents FG percentage (28.3) and opponents 3-point FG percentage (20.2).
Sophomores Jeryn Reese (Mansfield/Mansfield, Ohio) and Ariel Bethea (Huron/Ann Arbor, Mich.) were named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-American team, while Reese became the program's first two-time NJCAA All-American. Furthermore, Reese was named the OCCAC player of the year, while Bethea was named the OCCAC defensive player of the year. Freshmen Essence Cowan (Lima Senior/Lima, Ohio) and Brenda Pennington (Bishop Noll/Hammond, Ind.) were named Second Team and Honorable Mention All-OCCAC, respectively. Cowan earned a spot on the OCCAC's All-Freshmen team. Head coach Michael Llanas was named the OCCAC coach of the year for the third consecutive season.
In additon to all that, the program has now won at least 25 games in each of the past eight seasons. Over that span, they have compiled a 226-38 record, including a 97-9 record in OCCAC play. Llanas is now 327-97 in his 13-year tenure at Owens.