Lady Roadrunners focused on process

Sedalia, Mo.-The State Fair Community College (SFCC) Lady Roadrunners women's basketball team is coming off one of the best seasons in program history which included a Region 16 Tournament Championship and an appearance in the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball National Tournament. Head coach Nicole Collier knows what style of basketball her team will play in the upcoming season.

"I think our style of play will be similar to what it was last season," said Collier. "We are a much better transition team, and I hope we are able to keep that up. We want to share the ball; we have several people who can lead the fast break. We want to get out and run and score quick buckets, especially in the paint."

The Lady Roadrunners will feature three returning players who all played significant minutes last season. Ellie Buscher averaged 9.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest for SFCC last season, while shooting almost 52% from the field. Buscher played in 31 games. Sophia Edwin played in 29 games last season for SFCC. Edwin scored seven points and dished out 2.1 assists per game. Edwin shot 31.9% from beyond the three-point arc. Carolyn Foster played in 20 games last season for SFCC. Foster scored 3.2 points and pulled down 3.9 rebounds per game.

Jonise Barcene and Taylor Wilson also return to the team from last season. Barcene played in eight games last season, before having her season ended by an injury. Barcene averaged three points per game, to go along with 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Wilson sat out the spring semester after transferring from Midwestern State University.

SFCC comes into the season ranked 23^rd in the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Preseason Rankings.

SFCC will also feature eight newcomers this season.

"We're doing a lot of teaching and learning in practice," said Collier. "Everyone comes from different backgrounds and different programs. We are still building our philosophy and making our players more comfortable. Practices have been very competitive, there's good energy, they are coachable, and this is a fun group to be around.

"Ellie Buscher has been a fantastic leader for this group from the end of the season last year to throughout the summer and the beginning of the season," Collier said. "She has been consistent. Sophia is going to have a bigger role this year. The leadership piece is something that she is continuing to work on along with all our returners. All our returners have shown the newcomers how we do things on and off the floor in our program."

Coach Collier has been pleased with what he seen from her incoming class.

"We have a transfer from Drury University Zoe Newland who is going to give us some experience," said Collier. "She is a great athlete who can get to the rim and shoot the three-point shot. Kamaree Pollard is long and athletic. Chloe Reed is a shooter who will stretch the floor for us. Maliyah White can shoot the ball. Z'Mharie Barber is a long and athletic post player. We have several state champions on our team."

The Lady Roadrunners will be battle tested with a tough schedule for before they enter Region 16 play. They will open the season at home on Oct. 31 with a game against Triton College.

"Our goal was to go out and put a competitive schedule together," said Collier. "We are going to have to figure out how to win on the road early this season. We are going to be challenged early. We are on the road a lot in November, which will pay off for us later in the season… We will make a trip to Hutchinson Community College to play two teams that made the national tournament last season."

SFCC will play a pair of games at home on Thanksgiving weekend. The Lady Roadrunners will open the   2026 portion of their schedule with a home game against Treasure Valley on Jan. 4, before they open the always tough Region 16 slate with a game against Mineral Area College on Jan. 7. SFCC will close Region 16 play hosting Moberly Area Community College on Feb.25.

Coach Collier has a goal she would like to see her team accomplish this season.

"Our goals need to be to take advantage of every opportunity that we have," said Collier. "Every team talks about wanting to go to the National Tournament. We have to take it one game at a time and understand that there is a target on our back. We need to focus on the small details that go into winning."

David Rohrbach

SFCC Athletics