ST. PAULS — The foundation has been set, and a influx of talented newcomers makes the St. Pauls girls basketball team a force to be reckoned with this season.
The new players mixed with the talented returners, highlighted by the reigning county player of the year in junior T.J. Eichelberger, has the Bulldogs’ eyes set on prizes further than the county and the conference.
“Since I got here my goal has to be to win the championship and that doesn’t stop. I think realistically, looking into it now, winning the state championship is realistic,” St. Pauls coach Mike Moses said. “Realistically I think we can compete for a state championship and the rest of the stuff comes along the way the (Robeson County) Shootout, the conference championship is on the way. That’s what I tell the girls, let’s focus game by game and all the championships and games we need to win, we will win on the way there.”
Moses enters his third year with the program, and helped turn the program around during his time, with 30 total wins in his first two seasons. St. Pauls went 18-8 last season, good enough for second place in the Three Rivers Conference, but missed out on the playoffs because of the in-game altercation against South Robeson.
Setting the tone for that uptick in wins has been the pestering defense that is expected to be on another level with more experience and talent this season.
Joining Eichelberger in the starting five is senior center Iyania Evans, a transfer back to St. Pauls after three years at Fayetteville Christian; lengthy sophomore twins Tamyra and Taliya Council, who transferred in from Lumberton; and freshman point guard Jakieya Thompson.
“They bring size, athleticism, experience,” Moses said. “You are putting all these leaders together and nobody is really the alpha dog. No one is taking it personal.”
Eichelberger averaged 20.7 points per game to go along with 6.7 rebounds a night. This season with a more balanced group, those numbers aren’t necessarily what she wants.
“I just want to win,” Eichelberger said. “Everybody is coming back back and we’ve had a few transfer in and we’ve worked so hard. I just want to win for the people that have been putting in the work all this time. The people that have been making sacrifices, I want to win for them.”
That starting five is the first wave St. Pauls will throw at opponents, with the bench of players that were key contributors last year, including seniors Mackenzie Ransom, Larkan Maynor and junior Shakiya Floyd. The chemistry with the group is a first for Moses.
“These girls are like sisters. Since they’ve been here, we went to Wilmington this summer and they really bonded. The whole team goes to the movies on the weekends and they hang out,” Moses said. “That also carries over to the court.”
St. Pauls is currently 1-0 on the season, and plays again on Tuesday at home against East Columbus.
