FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Chancellor Henry Fernandez and Vice President Brian Hankerson announced Friday that LaJoyce “Joy” Al-Ameen would be the head coach for the University of Fort Lauderdale’s Women’s Basketball program.

“We are excited about bringing Joy on board to start the Women’s Basketball program,” Fernandez said. “She brings a wealth of knowledge from her playing career and coaching experience to the table. Coach Al-Ameen brings a lot of passion as a coach and a recruiter that will help take UFTL to the next level.”

Al-Ameen comes to UFTL after being the assistant coach at Florida Memorial University. She recently finished her fourth season as one of FMU Women’s Basketball assistant coaches. She primarily serves as the Recruiting Coordinator and Post/Forward Development Coach, though she has a hand in developing all players in each position.

She has helped the Florida Memorial University Women’s Basketball program reach the postseason in each of the four years, making it to the Conference Tournament semi-finals (or final four) three of four seasons.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to build a women’s basketball program that the University of Fort Lauderdale and the Lauderhill community can be proud of on and off the court,” Al-Ameen said. “Using my experiences as a coach, mentor, and former NCCAA DI player. This team will be built on a solid foundation of a strong work ethic and will exude high character while deepening these young women’s Christian values.”

Al-Ameen started her coaching career as an assistant at Windward School in Los Angeles, California, where she helped the girls’ basketball team win CIF and Regional Championships and its first State Championship.

She helped develop players who went on to play Division I and some professionally, such as Imani McGee-Stafford (University of Texas/Chicago Storm/Atlanta Dream/overseas), Jordan Canada (UCLA/Seattle Storm/overseas), Kristen Simon (USC/overseas) and Courtney Jaco (USC).

Al-Ameen’s basketball journey started for her as a player in Lynwood, California. She helped lead her high school team to 4 league championships, 3 CIF championships, 2 State Championships and 1 National Championship.

From there, she went on to play Division I basketball at Cal State University Northridge. As a member of the CSUN team, she earned 1st Team All-Conference,1st Team All-Tournament and Best Hustle player.

Al-Ameen played four years at CSUN (2003-2007), where she was a three-year starter. She broke the school rebounding record for most rebounds in a game (21) her senior year while averaging a double-double as the team’s starting power forward.

Over her career, she averaged 11.1 points and 7.5 rebounds. She currently holds several records in the University’s history. She is #1 for free throws made (382) as well as attempted (544), #3 in single-season rebounding average (10.9/game), #5 in rebounds (815), #9 in steals (162), #10 in points made (1208) and rebounds (7.5/game).

For two years, she served as the team’s captain and liaison between her team and the administration as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Al-Ameen graduated from CSUN holding two Bachelors of Science degrees in Apparel Design and Production and the second in Apparel Merchandising, along with a minor in Marketing. She received her Master’s in Business Administration from Florida Memorial University, the only Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in South Florida, in 2021, during a global pandemic, while also having her first and only child in December of 2020.

She is a Wife to Ansar Al-Ameen, the Men’s Basketball Head Coach at FMU, a mother to Adara Al-Ameen, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, and a mentor to many young ladies whom she has crossed paths with.

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ROCK HILL, S.C.  – The South Atlantic Conference had three schools ranked in the NCAA Southeast Region Women’s Basketball poll released by the NCAA on Wednesday (Feb. 17). Wingate, Carson-Newman and Catawba are all under consideration for this year’s NCAA Southeast Region Championship.

In addition to the three SAC schools ranked in this week’s poll, there are three Conference Carolinas schools and four Peach Belt schools under consideration.

Wingate’s overall record is 21-3, Carson-Newman has a 20-5 overall record and Catawba is 19-4 overall.

The rankings are the official poll utilized by the NCAA in the championship selection process and will continue to be released each week by the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Committee up to the NCAA Championship selections.

NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Regional Rankings can be found at https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-women/d2/regional-ranking.

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KANSAS CITY — The Southeastern University women’s basketball team moved up one spot in today’s edition of the NAIA Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
 
That’s all it was able to move up because the Fire were ranked second in the previous poll.
 
Southeastern is ranked at the top of the poll for the third time in the last five seasons, checking in with an overall record of 24-1 and have been victorious in their last 20 games.
 
Offensively, SEU averages 84.9 points per game which is fourth nationally, and is second nationally in field goal percentage at 48.5%. On defense, Southeastern is sixth nationally in steals per game at 14.4.
 
Grad transfer Angela Perry is averaging just shy of 20 points per game. Leilah Vigil has added 13 points per game and Marta Aranda another 10.7.
 
The Fire return to the floor on Thursday at St. Thomas.

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AVE MARIA, Fla. –  In a back and forth contest, the No. 2 ranked Southeastern University women’s basketball team grabbed their 20^th win of the season with a 55-51 victory over Sun Conference opponent, Ave Maria University to advance to 20-1 and 9-0 in SUN play.
 
the Fire got on the board first with Angela Perry’s first points of the contest but seven consecutive points by the Gyrenes gave them a 7-2 advantage four minutes into the first quarter. After four more lead changes through the remainder of the quarter, the Gyrenes had the 17-16 advantage going into the second quarter after the Fire struggled from distance going 1-6 from beyond the arc.
 
Four consecutive points by Marta Aranda tilted the scales back in favor of the Fire as they took the 20-17 edge early in the second quarter. The Gyrenes continued their strong showing from three point range with back-to-back baskets to tie things up at 25 with just under five minutes to play before the half. The teams continued to battle with neither being able to grab the advantage heading into the locker room as they concluded the first 20 minutes with a 29-29 tie.
 
The Fire began to pull away from the Gyrenes in the third quarter after putting together an 8-0 run with Leilah Vigil contributing to five of those eight points. The late quarter run allowed the Fire a 45-38 lead heading into the final quarter after shooting 50% from the field and from beyond the arc. The fourth quarter saw the Fire lead by as much as nine but multiple missed opportunities by the Gyrenes with the clock winding down lent the Fire the 55-51 victory.
 
Leilah Vigil led the Fire in points and rebounds and recorded her first double-double of the season after recording 14 points and 11 rebounds. Angela Perry ended the night with 12 points while Rebecca Cook ended a strong defensive showing with eight rebounds, three steals, and four blocks.

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ATLANTA, Ga. – The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) has announced its men’s and women’s basketball Players of the Week.

Women’s Basketball

PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Bria Gibbs, Savannah State
Center  |  Junior  |  Greensboro, N.C.

Bria Gibbs had another fantastic week, scoring double figures in two wins for Savannah State. Against Spring Hill, Gibbs recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 12 rebounds and 17 points. Against Fort Valley State on Saturday, Gibbs scored 13 points. The Lady Tigers lead the SIAC at 13-0, 7-0 and are one of three undefeated teams in the nation.

NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK– Ta’Quashia Lumpkin, Savannah State
Forward  |  Freshman  |  Beaufort, S.C.

In her first season playing for Savannah State Ta’Quasia Lampkin is quickly becoming key to their victories. In a win against Fort Valley State, Lampkin recorded her first double-double with a season-high 22 points and 16 rebounds. She also led in steals with 7. She leads the team in steals this season with 36 and is second on the team in blocks with 12. The Lady Tigers lead the SIAC at 13-0, 7-0 and are one of three undefeated teams in the nation.

Men’s Basketball

PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Deshawn Millington, Tuskegee
Guard |  Senior   |  Brooklyn, N.Y.

In two games last week, Tuskegee’s Deshawn Millington led the Golden Tigers to two wins over Edward Waters and Lane. Millington, a senior from Brooklyn, N.Y., had a season-high 23 points against Edward Waters while adding four assists, four steals, and two rebounds. Against Lane, Millington led with 19 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal.

NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK– Devin Booker, Tuskegee
Guard   |  Junior  |  Chicago, Ill.

Booker is the leading scorer for the Golden Tigers in two contests this week.

Against Edward Waters, Booker posted five points and three rebounds. Against Lane, the junior guard collected 16 points and six rebounds. He is averaging 12.9 points per game and 1.7 rebounds per game in an average of 30.8 minutes per contest with 11 starts in 12 games played.

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The Peach Belt Conference named Lander’s Makaila Cangé the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week on Jan. 17, 2022.

Cangé was absolutely incredible in two wins last week for the 10th-ranked Bearcats, averaging 32.5 points and 16 rebounds per game. The junior forward from Douglasville, Ga., scored 43 with 18 rebounds in a win over Augusta, then had 22 with 14 boards in a win over Clayton State. She shot an eye-popping 86% (24-28) from the field with a block, a steal and two assists.

Her 43 against Augusta is tied for the fifth-highest single-game point total in PBC history and is the second-highest scored in a game in NCAA Division II so far this season as well as a Lander school record.

She set another Lander record with 16 made field goals in that contest. She is ranked sixth in the nation in scoring at 21.5 ppg and is second nationally in field goal percentage. Cangé is also second in the PBC in rebounding and free throw percentage.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Southeastern University Fire women’s basketball team rose two spots in the latest NAIA Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll to No. 2. The Fire also received one first-place vote in the poll.

The Fire currently sit at 16-1 on the season, including 6-0 in Sun Conference play, and are on a 12-game win streak. SEU opened 2022 with a 74-55 win over St. Thomas at home this past Saturday.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences, Independents and Unaffiliated Groups.

The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second place and so on through the list.

The Fire continue SUN play this Saturday inside The Furnace versus the Keiser University Seahawks. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.

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The Gulf South Conference announced its Women’s Basketball Player of the Week Awards Presented by TicketSmarter for the 2021-22 season. This week’s awards were for games played between Jan. 3-9.

Player of the Week: Emily Jones, G – Christian Brothers
Jones knocked down nine of her 18 field goals for a 24-point outing as the Lady Bucs took an 84-79 victory over Auburn Montgomery on Thursday, Jan. 6. The sophomore shot 4-of-7 from beind the arc while adding five boards, three assists, two steals and a block against the Warhawks. In an 83-81 loss to Montevallo on Satuday, Jan. 8, Jones shot 50 percent from the floor (8-of-16) as well as a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line on her way to scoring a game-high 26 points. She fill the stat sheet with six rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocked shots in 37 minutes of action.

Freshman of the Week: Ally Alford, G – Mississippi College
Alford posted a team-high 23 points on 8-for-15 from the floor including 5-of-9 from deep as Mississippi College topped West Georgia, 73-51. The freshman guard also grabbed seven rebounds, which matched her season-high. The Jan. 8 victory was Alford’s fifth time this season leading the team in scoring, the most by any Choctaw, and her fourth game with 20 or more points. The freshman guard ranks third in the GSC in three’s per game (2.5) and fourth in three-point percentage (40.6). The 22-point win marked the largest margin of victory in the series with the UWG.

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McElhaney did all she could with back-to-back 30-plus point games for Clayton State last week. The junior forward from Tifton, Ga., scored a career-high 33 with 14 rebounds in a loss to Young Harris and followed with 32 points in a loss to Columbus State. She hit 62% from the field with 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

Her 33 points is tied for the most in a single game in the PBC this season and she is the only PBC player with two games of 30 or more. She is currently ranked fourth in the PBC in scoring, third in field goal percentage and 12^th in rebounding.

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LAKELAND, Fla. – Southeastern University women’s basketball head coach Tim Hays has finalized the 2021-22 schedule. The lineup features a scrimmage, exhibition, 14 non-conference contests, and a 16-game Sun Conference slate.
 
“With five national tournament teams and three NCAA Division II teams on the schedule we have put together one of the toughest schedules we’ve ever faced,” said Coach Hays, who enters his sixth season at the helm of the program. “Our goals remain the same: to be the most prepared team in the league, and to be measured and prepared to compete at the national level. I believe our schedule reflects our culture and pursuit of those goals.”
 
The Fire are coming off a dynamic 26-3 2020-21 season in which they swept both The Sun Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships, as well as advanced to the NAIA National Championship Round of 16.
 
The Fire tip off with a scrimmage inside The Furnace on Saturday September 25 versus the SHE HOOPS ELITE Pro-Am club team.
 
Southeastern then makes a lengthy road trip to The Treasure State of Montana October 21-24 for a three-game stretch against NAIA competition. First, the Fire take on another program that advanced to the NAIA Round of 16 last season in the University of Providence (10-6). Then, SEU takes on the reigning Frontier Conference Tournament Champions in Carroll College (21-3), who advanced to the NAIA Opening Round in 2020-21. The Fire round out the trip with a bout versus Montana Tech (5-14).
 
SEU returns to Lakeland on October 30 for an exhibition against NCAA Division II Barry University (5-6). The Fire ten travel to Dayton, Tenn. for a pair of games November 5-6. SEU battles Bryan College (18-3), who captured both the Appalachian Athletic Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships, as well as competed in Lakeland last season for the NAIA Opening Round. Southeastern then takes on AAC Runners-Up from last season Reinhardt University (12-7), who also competed in the Opening Round.
 
The Fire open Sun Conference play at home on Saturday November 13 versus Ave Maria University (8-19). Five days later, SEU heads to The Peach State to first take on College of Coastal Georgia (13-11) and then face Thomas University (2-16) two days later.
“We are excited to once again contend for a Sun Conference Championship,” Hays said. “We walk into every conference season knowing we have a target on our back having won six consecutive conference titles and we love the preparation and challenge of having to be our very best every single game.”
 
Southeastern hosts its Thanksgiving Classic November 26-27 inside The Furnace, where the Fire will welcome a pair of NCAA Division II institutions from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Fire take on Concordia University St. Paul (11-6), followed by Bemidji State University (10-6).
 
The Fire open December with a pair of SUN contests versus Polk County foes. SEU heads to Babson Park on December 2 to face Webber International University (17-11) before hosting Warner University (7-21) two days later. WIU advanced to the NAIA Opening Round last season, competing in the Lakeland Bracket.
 
Southeastern makes another non-conference road trip to the Big Easy December 10-11, where the Fire will face defending Southern States Athletic Conference Champions and NAIA Opening Round team Loyola University of New Orleans (21-2). The Fire then take on LSU-Alexandria (7-8) to round out the trip.
 
The Fire return to Lakeland to host Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Runners-Up Tabor College (19-8) on December 14. On December 16-17, the Fire host their Christmas Invitational, taking on Talladega College (16-3) and Goshen College (7-21).
 
SEU participates in a classic at Warner December 29-30. In Lake Wales, the Fire take on NCAA Division III Husson College (6-1) and Brescia University (2-17).
 
Southeastern rings in the New Year in Miami Gardens on January 6 versus Florida Memorial University (10-11). The Fire then host St. Thomas University (19-5), who SEU defeated in The Sun Conference Tournament Final last season, on Saturday January 8. The next Saturday the Fire face Keiser University (15-12) inside The Furnace.
 
The Fire make their second round through SUN play starting on January 20 at Ave Maria. SEU then hosts Thomas and Coastal Georgia on January 27 and 29 respectively.
 
SEU heads back to Lake Wales on February 3 for a rematch with Warner before hosting Webber International two days later. The Fire trek down to Miami Gardens to battle St. Thomas on February 10 and then host Florida Memorial two days later. SEU rounds out the regular season on Saturday February 17 versus Keiser.
 
The 2021-22 Sun Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament runs at campus sites on February 22,25, and 26.
 
The 2021-22 NAIA National Championship Opening Round will take place at campus sites March 11-12, with the Final Site to follow at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa March 17-22.
 
Tickets for Fire women’s basketball home games will be made available for purchase later this fall here.

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