City of Basketball Love

By Eric Stehle
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“Scholarships and Championships.”

That’s the mantra that Riley Maye, head coach of the Harcum College women’s basketball team, uses to keep his teams motivated. And it worked last year as his team had the best season in school history, going 30-4 and culminating in a Final Four appearance at the NJCAA D-II national tournament in Port Huron, Mich.

Maye credits a number of factors for the program’s 2022-23 success, but keeping his players focused on the goal of earning a basketball scholarship is paramount. And success on the court in the form of championships helps them achieve that objective. 

Following their accomplishments on the national stage at the NJCAA tournament, a number of his players earned scholarships at the next level, including Amaris Baker (now at Drexel University), Jasmyn Jefferies (Claflin University), Aniyah Bond (Wilmington University) Marcy Brackett (St. Thomas University) and Sara Aumer (Coker University).

The culture of basketball success is strong at Harcum College as both the men’s and women’s teams have a strong tradition of developing scholarship-level players. The men’s team has won 20+ games each year since their inaugural season in 2005, with multiple trips deep into the NJCAA championship tournament.

The women’s program has reached a comparable level of accomplishment, having won the NJCAA Region 19 seven times, and Maye intends for it to continue. 

“I’m a big believer in player-led teams,” he said. “We need to hold each other accountable.” 

Matching the success of last season will definitely be a challenge, especially considering the loss of Baker, who averaged 27 ppg last season, and Jefferies, fifth in the region in assists (4.0/game) and the go-go motor of the team. Both players have rightfully moved on to scholarship-level basketball, but it leaves a large hole to be filled in their absence. Nevertheless, Maye has high expectations. 

“I believe we actually have more depth than last year,” he said. “We have the talent to win a national championship. We just need to come together as a team.” 

Maye feels that picking up the pace and creating scoring opportunities in transition will help replace the lost production. But he acknowledges that it will be a team effort. 

“It’s impossible to replace that much scoring production with one person,” he said. “But our sophomores have improved. They are better players than they were last year and they will have their chance to shine.” 

To fill the scoring void, Maye expects to have several players average 10-15 ppg this season.

This year’s team features returnee Mikaela Parris, a 5-foot-10 defensive stopper who always seems to be in the right spot on the floor. Voted team captain this year, both she and Maye acknowledge that she will likely need to step up her scoring this season. But she doesn’t feel the pressure. 

“Our coaches have us prepared,” she said. “We need to just trust in our teammates, communicate on the court, and be there for each other, on and off the court.”

Parris is joined by other returnees, including Ayneigejah Ferguson-Dugas, a 5-9 wing who can hit threes and get to the basket; T’Nyah Riggins, a 5-3 do-it-all point guard; and Ellie Janssen Holton, a 5-8 sharpshooter from Australia. 

In addition, the team has added Ciara Bailey, a 6-2 center who transferred from Pensacola State University. Originally from Bristol, Bailey played her high school basketball at Trenton Catholic Academy (N.J.).

A pair of first-year players are also expected to have an impact this season. Kelsey Bess, a 5-10 wing from William Penn Charter School, and Camryn Graham, a 5-9 combo guard from Life Center Academy (N.J.), could earn significant minutes.

Bess dealt with multiple knee injuries during her junior and senior years of high school, but she has worked hard in the off-season to rehab. Maye is excited about her potential. 

“She is definitely a D-I talent,” he said. “If she’s healthy in high school, we probably don’t have a chance to bring her to Harcum.”

The Harcum women’s players are in agreement with their coach about what it takes to continue their path of success. 

“We lost some players from last year, but we can lock in and be a great team too,” Bailey said with confidence. “We need to play as a team, stay motivated and bring high energy.”

Bess agrees. “Shoutout to last year’s team,” she said. “But we have to be our own team now. We have to push ourselves, compete hard in practice and hold ourselves accountable.”

As the Harcum women’s basketball program works to continue the program’s success, Maye acknowledges that he has to walk the tightrope of both player development and effective recruiting. 

“I want Harcum to be a special place that gives opportunities to players who maybe got missed in the recruiting process,” he said. “The NJCAA is a viable path to get to the next level, the scholarship level. Sometimes this option is not always seen by players.” 

With their mantra of “Scholarships and Championships” at the forefront of their minds as they compete each season, Maye stresses the value that a successful season has on scholarship opportunities. 

“If you don’t win,” he said, “recruitment looks different.”