The Three Rivers women's basketball team has a host of new faces on the squad this season with a mix of incoming freshmen and experienced transfers. A total of seven players out of the roster of 13 are suiting up for the black and gold for the first time.
"This group has been doing real well in the preseason," Raiders coach Alex Wiggs said. "We've got some kids from the northeast and I've never had any players from that region before and we've got some experience with transfers."
One of those transfers is redshirt freshman Tameia Shaw from Nashville. She was at Austin Peavy before a torn ACL forced her to sit out the entire 2021-22 season.
"I tore my ACL last year and I'm going the JUCO route to try to get back to where I was," Shaw said. "The recovery went really well and I'm going full speed now."
There are a couple of Raiders on the roster that are close to home with returner Makenzi Davis from Neelyville and incoming freshman Amiya Johnson just graduating from Hayti.
"It's going to be great playing close to home," Johnson said. "I'll have friends and family coming out to the games."
A few newcomers are very much far from home with Niasya Ervin coming from Newark, N.J., Maiya Bergdorf hailing from Boston and Aisja Strachan making the furthest trip to Poplar Bluff from the Bahamas.
"I wanted to come to a winning program," Ervin said, who transferred from Miami Dade College.
With six players returning from last year's historic team that was the top team in the nation for the majority of the season, Wiggs is hoping for a trip to Lubbock, Tx. for the third straight year with the team he and new assistant coach Caleb Livingston put together.
"They're a fun group and they've worked real hard so far," Wiggs said. "We scrimmaged 5-on-5 for the first time (Wednesday) and I thought it looked really good on the court. I think they all get along very well. With the returners' experience from last year and even with the transfers we're bringing in, they know how to win and they want to be in a successful program."
Fans can see the Lady Raiders in action a few times in the preseason with Raider Madness at midnight on Oct. 1 along with a couple of home scrimmages against Dyersburg State on Oct. 21 and Lyon College on Oct. 29. The Raiders will start the regular season at home on Nov. 5 against Wabash Valley College.
Robert Augsdorfer - Daily American Republic