Jasmine Gibbs isn’t afraid to say it — last year, the girls basketball team was bad.
“We lost so bad. We won one game.” she said. “We were getting made fun of, even by some people here like the boys [team]. It was just bad. And we were like, ‘This is not happening again. We can’t let it happen again.’”
They haven’t.
The UCA girls are currently 12–2 on the season, having won 10 games in a row after starting their season with a loss.
Even that first loss was a sign of better things to come, said coach CJ Cross.
“It was a team we played last year, and we lost to them really bad last year, and this year when we played them, we only lost by five,” Cross said. “To see how far we had come, that gave us a lot of confidence.”
Back row, from left: Bella Chappell, Madesyn Wilson, Michelle Hanna, Terri Perry, and Janyce Owens. Front row: Jasmine Gibbs, Lexi Smith, Malia Robinson, and Jada Gibbs.
Road to success
Cross attributes this season’s success to a variety of factors, not the least of which is the reality that last year was the program’s first season.
“The first year of any movement that you’re starting is always going to be the toughest. There’s a lot of what-ifs and you just have to figure it out as you go,” Cross said.
As this year came around, Cross believes the team — which only graduated two seniors last year — had a much better idea of what it would take to succeed.
“The girls put a lot of the work in in the offseason. They did some spring workouts, summer workouts, with or without me,” Cross said. “It’s been a fun season. I’m glad I was able to say to them that the hard work you put in — you’re getting something from it.”
Beyond the lessons learned from last year, Cross said the playbook has totally changed as well. The team has capitalized on its athleticism and quickness, and has relied on speed, steals, transition buckets, and full-court pressure to wear down opponents.
A team of leaders
Jasmine, who is a team captain along with her sister Jada, averages 15 points per game, with nine rebounds and at least two assists. Other team leaders include sophomore Jada Gibbs, an excellent ball-handler who leads the team in assists, and freshman Malia Robinson, whose “fiery spirit” serves as the “engine” to the Phoenix’s full court press, said Cross. Senior Janyce Owens averages eight points per game with five steals, and is described by Cross as the “heart and pulse of the team.” Other players on the surging Phoenix squad are Bella Chappell, Madesyn Wilson, Michelle Hanna, Terri Perry, and Lexi Smith.
“I was expecting us to win, of course,” said Jasmine, “but not like this.”
The sophomore captain remembers a game earlier in January against Islamic Foundation.
“We didn’t have many mistakes. When we’re on the court, we have a tendency to let the vibe get down, like the energy on the court gets pulled down, even if we’re up. That game, it didn’t really happen. Everyone had their heads up. They were focused, and having fun,” she said.
Culture and chemistry — and wins
Just as Coach Cross is quick to praise his players, Jasmine is quick to praise her coach, saying “He really really really runs us, and has no mercy when it comes to that. But he wants the best for us, honestly, on and off the court. A lot of the stuff he talks to us about, it’s not even about basketball, it’s just life in general.”
The Phoenix’s current goal is to end the season with the best record in the conference, and they’re currently chasing one team down to do so — with a handful of games left. Because this is UCA’s first year in the Metro Prep Conference, IHSA rules dictate that the team can’t compete for a conference championship, but the Phoenix can compete in regionals, which start February 7.
“We’re going to continue to do what we’ve done to be successful, there’s no need to switch anything up,” Cross said. “We’ll let the chips fall where they may.”
And regardless of the season’s outcome, the forward strides the Phoenix have taken as a team far outpace whatever their final record ends up being.
““Last year there was a lot of skepticism and there was a culture and morale of a team trying to find its way,” Cross said. “This year the team morale, the character, the culture, the chemistry, and just the actual want to be there — I think they’ve all increased dramatically, and that’s contributed to our success this year.”
Jasmine agrees. She said, “We’re more supportive this year. This may sound cringey, but we’re more like a family. These girls are my sisters.”