HAGERSTOWN CC BASKETBALL TO BUILD OFF 2024-25 AND SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS
Hagerstown Community College basketball has a long and rich history stemming back to the likes of legendary coaches Jim Brown and Marlys Palmer/Vicky Bullet on the men's and women's sides respectively. And although those coaches have retired from coaching, their legacies demand consistency in HCC's basketball program. That consistency appears to be in good hands with Bernard Hopkins and Cindy Wilhelm "running point" for the foreseeable future.
LADY HAWKS TOUGHNESS NEVER A QUESTION AS THEY TAKE BIG STEPS TOWARDS SUSTAINED SUCCESS
After unfortunate circumstances left HCC with no women's basketball team in the 2023-24 season, Coach Wilhelm was hired and forced to build a squad from the ground up in less than a full year. Despite the team only being comprised of 7 players, they blossomed as a unit over the course of the entire season, finishing with an overall record of 9-17, while going 6-8 in-conference.
Team captain and Frederick CC transfer, Amelia Robins, was coined the "iron woman" by Wilhelm as she played every single minute for the Lady Hawks this year. She averaged 18.8 points per game (25th in D2 NJCAA), 7.31 assists per game (2nd in D2 NJCAA), and totaled 83 steals which was good for 5th in MDJUCO. She scored over 20 points in 10 games this season while having a 31-point performance in a winning effort against Garrett College. Other highlighted performances for Robins included 4 games with at least 11 ASTs, and 13 double-doubles out of a possible 26 chances. Equivalent to her having earned a double-double 50% of the time. And to top it off, Robins totaled 190 assists for the season which is the most by an HCC player in at least the past 12 years. Extremely impressive season by the sophomore point guard.
Freshman captain and center, Andrea Elder, not only broke the HCC single season and single game records for blocks (178 and 15 respectively), but she finished first in the entire country with an average of over 7 a game. Elder affected the game not only defensively either, as she contributed 4 triple doubles and 9 double doubles this season. Her pure ability as an all-around player will be a welcome sight next season for the Lady Hawks should she choose to return.
Sophomore team captain Susie Rodriguez turned into a "rebounding machine" this year even though she stands at a mere 5'2" in stature. She gives a large amount of credit to assistant coach Samaria Silva for helping her to improve her boxing out and technique in the paint. She led the team in rebounds per game with over 10. Some of her best moments as a Lady Hawk were hitting two 3 pointers in the final minute against Harford to help pull off the upset while contributing 14 boards. She then proceeded to have 18 points and 23 rebounds in the win over Allegany College of Maryland, just one of her 8 double doubles on the season.
"I am very proud of our first season as a program" said Coach Wilhelm. "One of our team goals was to make the Region 20 playoffs and we did. It is always fulfilling to make a goal and reach it." And although they fell short to #1 CCBC Essex in the first round of the tournament, that doesn't write off all the progress the girls made throughout their season. Getting key contributions from Keyani Saunders, Tyra Hobbs, Avrie Harr, and Taylor Beatty is really what pushed the team over the top down the stretch. If you do not have a bench presence, it is difficult to win college basketball games and all 7 of the girls showed true grit in how they fought this season. The future is bright for the Lady Hawks as the recruiting efforts have already been in full swing. 2024-25 was a foundational year of the women's program and it would not be a shock at all to have them competing for a much higher seed in the region 20 tournament come next March.
MEN'S TEAM STEADILY BUILDING TOWARDS REGION 20 STALWART STATUS
Hagerstown Men's Basketball finished their season by winning the region 20 championship for the 3rd time in the past 5 years. They were the #3 seed in the district tournament after finishing the regular season with a record of 17-12, 11-6 in-conference. After defeating Harford CC in the first round, they took on #2 Harcum College whom they split with during the two head-to-head matchups earlier in the year. Sadly, the Hawks fell short in a close wire-to-wire game, but there were plenty of reasons for optimism throughout their season.
Sophomore forward Mason Sword finished his 2-year career with the Hawks with a region 20 tournament MVP selection. Known for being an early riser/night owl when it came to getting shots up in the gym, it was clear his hard work translated to the court as he led the team with 14.5 points per game. That was good enough for 18th in MDJUCO and 10th in total points with 411. He was the clear leader of the team and became the go-to player when they needed a bucket in crunch time. His 45.3% FG% will bode well for whatever school is lucky enough to get their hands on him. A Palm Coast, Florida native, Sword hopes to latch on to an HBCU and contribute his services with his remaining years of eligibility upon his graduation in May.
Local Goretti HS product, Tristan Cook, transformed his playing style from his first year to his second by ramping up his assertiveness/aggression. He was one of MDJUCO's all around players as he affected the game in a multitude of ways. He averaged 10.5 points, 2.8 assists (87 total), and 2.3 steals per game as well as having a 74% FT% at the charity stripe. He finished 2nd in MDJUCO with 72 total steals and had a sneaky intuition to force a turnover when the team needed it. And with all the objective accolades that Cook obtained this season, his best contribution was something you can't measure: his motor. He fought through multiple injuries this year and constantly showed up no matter what the score or situation. He will be a sorely missed presence once he is gone from HCC.
Freshman and Region 20 all-tournament first team selection, Cam Horton, is someone the coaching staff is excited about moving forward. His knack for always being in the right place at the right time showed up consistently throughout his play. He was always around the ball and came away with multiple double-double performances this season. He was one of 5 players this year that averaged 10 points (10.3 ppg) or higher a game. He was 21st in MDJUCO in rebounds per game with 6.4 and a grand total of 186. He led the team with an excellent 81.7% FT% which was good enough for 4th in the state. He will be poised to make a jump in his sophomore season.
Along with Horton, fellow freshman starter, Najeh Allen (10 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.6 apg), hopes to calm the waters of change on the horizon in 2025. With 3 starters moving on to the next level, it will be up to other key reserves to assume bigger spots next year. Freshman guards, Jalen Debose, Xavier Pickett, and freshman forwards, Azzir Smith-Bey and Tamareion Roundtree will be asked to carry the torch as they move towards their long elusive goal of winning a district title. New talent will be incoming and act as reinforcements for the foundation already laid in 2024. Coach Hopkins, Coach Schlotter, and Coach Billie are confident that they will be on the ascent. Their fire burns brighter than they ever have and will be poised to take the league by storm in the years to come.
GO HAWKS!!