by Taylor Cotie

On Saturday, Feb. 25, Hanes Gymnasium was packed with family, friends and faculty to watch the Greensboro College women’s basketball team battle for the USA South Conference championship title. After a long rally, GC defeated North Carolina Wesleyan with a close final score of 97-90.

This will be Greensboro College’s seventh conference championship in the program’s history. The women’s basketball team, coached by Heather Macy, has had a phenomenal season with an overall record of 26-2, and an undefeated conference record of 18-0. The team was led in points by senior Ta’Keria Legette and sophomore Lauren Livingston, both putting 24 points on the scoreboard.

Legette has had a very successful season as she was named USA South Defensive Player of the year and the USA South Tournament MVP.

“As a senior, it is very emotional,” Legette said when asked what this season meant to her. “It is a big step in life and I knew I had to leave a legacy, so it has been my focus all year.”

When asked to describe what set this team apart and made them so successful in this conference, Legette said, “I would have to say the love that we all showed towards one another.”

It meant a lot for her to be chosen for the USA South Defensive Player of the Year and to receive the Conference Championship Most Valuable Player award.

“All I would say is, ‘I am, because we are,’” she said.

She will miss one thing the most at the end of the season.

“It has definitely got to be coach. At the end of the day, just coach.” Even though these ladies have had an incredible season, they could not have done it without Macy. Macy has been the head women’s basketball coach for Greensboro College for the past three seasons but has 20+ years of college coaching experience. This season is Macy’s first conference championship win with Greensboro College.

The Collegian asked what this season meant to her as the head coach of GC women’s basketball.

“Well, being an alum, obviously it is personal for me, but at the same time understanding that these kids only have four years to play, we want to give them the best experience that they can possibly have,” Macy said. “I am going to have another freshman, sophomore, junior and senior year. They are not going to get to have that same experience.

“I think it is how they play together,” she added about what is so special about this team and their accomplishments this season. “They define being the ultimate teammate. I think they have approached it that way every day and so when they play for one another, instead of playing for themselves, they find new energy and new motivation every day.”

On Feb. 22, Coach Macy was named the USA South Coach of the Year. “I think an award like that is more of a staff award. We have a lot of moving parts with people handling things, from our assistant coaches, to athletic trainers, our managers, to our staff. There are so many moving parts to make a program successful, so I think that award goes to all of them.”

USA South Player of the Year Audrey Jennings described what this season has meant to her personally.

“For me, it has meant a lot because we have grown a lot as a team and personally, I have grown a lot. My relationships with my teammates and my game have improved, and I have grown through that.

“If I could use one word to describe [the team], I would have to say ‘unity’ or ‘togetherness.’ The last half of the season, at first, we were just getting adjusted to the new team. We have really been able to come together as one and put together wins and hopefully we can keep winning.”

“I was really proud [of the award]. I would have to give all the credit to my team, though. I could have never done it without them. They have always had my back throughout the season, and they are really the reason I was able to get this award.”

Greensboro College women’s basketball has had an amazing season, and being undefeated in the USA South Conference guaranteed a punched ticket to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Teamwork makes the dream work and this group of ladies, and their well-respected coach put the work in to make that dream a reality.