Butte College goalie Campbell Feig (center) dribbles the ball as coach Tyler Newton (second from right) is shown with goalkeeper Jocelyn Medina (15) and forward Madalyn Bassett (4) watching at Roadrunners practice Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023 at Butte College in Butte Valley, Calif. (Justin Kochot/Enterprise Record)
BUTTE VALLEY — Coming off a season in which the Butte College women’s basketball team was runner-up in the state tournament, the Roadrunners are once again off to a fast and successful start. The Butte team has won 15 of its first 16 games, its only loss coming in overtime to Mount San Antonio on Nov. 5, and in the latest California Community College Athletic Association rankings, the Road Runners are No. 1 for the first time. In the history of the program.
“I think it has a lot to do with respecting last year,” sophomore guard Sarah Tate said. “We were respected at state last year, but that turned into a lot of disrespect this year with teams saying, ‘They’re not as good or as big as they were last year.’ I think (the strong start) proved that it doesn’t matter how big we are, it doesn’t matter If we have a real (midfield), we will work hard, play hard and do what we have to do.”
After center Sanaya Schrader graduated in the spring, the Roadrunners had a void to fill. With only four sophomores returning and Tait the only player at guard, head coach Tyler Newton looked to his sixth man from the 2022-23 season, Madelyn Bassett. Bassett, who is listed as a guard/forward standing at 5-foot-9, worked with the coaching staff over the summer and transitioned her role from guard as a freshman to starting center for the Roadrunners as a sophomore.
Knowing he might have to make a transition like this, Newton completely transformed his offense over the summer, something he hadn’t done in five seasons after starting with the Roadrunners in 2015.
“Because of our lack of size, I had to change everything, which is a nice, fun challenge,” Newton said. “It’s a sign of a good coach to be able to adjust your style to suit the individuals in your team rather than (saying, ‘This is the way we play, and you have to play accordingly.’) So regardless of whether you can or not.’” “We miss Sanaya’s rebounding and shot blocking, but the way we can stretch the floor with Maddie and put pressure on other teams and force them to guard makes it so, so you kind of have to compete.” With us.”
Bassett is averaging 11 points and four rebounds per game, but 41.1% from the three-point line is difficult for other centers to guard. In the Roadrunners’ 68-56 win over Moorpark on November 4, Bassett matched a season-high with 24 points, making 8-of-10 shots including 7-of-9 from the three-point line, in addition to grabbing eight rebounds. On November 21 against Laney, Bassett scored 14 points and collected 13 rebounds for her first career double-double.
“I could have fought Tyler and fought the coaching staff, but instead I took it,” Bassett said. “Before the season started, we decided to work hard on how I could contribute to the team. I’m not your average 6-footer, but we learned different ways on how to impact other teams. We learned that other bigs have to guard me in certain ways.
“There are things I struggle with, so of course I have my downside of not being a tall rebounder, but I also have a lot of upsides of being a point guard playing against a No. 5.”
Other sophomores played a key role as well, accepting different roles than they did last season. Tate shot 44.1% from the field and 34.1% from 3 last season and is guarded tighter on the perimeter. On a team awash in scoring this season, Newton said she played a bigger role this season.
“She will score when she has to, but she makes the extra passes and defends, where some other sophomores might feel like this is their time to shine,” Newton said. “All she cares about is winning. The scouting report is different, so she gets more attention.
Sophomore forward Aubrey Prunty played a big role off the bench as one of the backup forwards/centers and was one of the Roadrunners’ best defenders. She can guard any position, get rebounds, and can score when needed. She and sophomore guard Regan Marroquin have combined to lead a bench unit that isn’t as offensively talented as the freshmen, but is the best defensive unit the Roadrunners can produce.
“Iron sharpens iron,” Newton said. “If we played our second five games against most of the teams in the league, we would probably win every game. These five girls can go out and compete for every team in our league. The higher level teams, it’s a little tougher, but our girls come in and grind every day, work hard, and we’re deep.” Extremely.
Spark of youth
The biggest surprise for Newton this season has been the success the Roadrunners have had for their youngsters. With a team consisting of three freshmen, Newton thought, “We were going to take our lumps early and let them figure it out.”
The Roadrunners had to find a way to replace NorCal Player of the Year Megan Weinrich, who now plays at Division I Oral Roberts, as well as Schrader and starting point guard Cassidy King — both of whom now play at the D-II level.
Chico High graduate Campbell Feig (7.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.85 steals per game) took on King at point guard and guards Jocelyn Medina (11.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3.5 APG) and Morgan Trigueiro (12.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2 APG) over the other two spots in the starting lineup alongside Tait and Bassett.
This year’s team has the best team chemistry Newton has ever coached, and that was key, he and the players said.
“I think it’s huge,” Newton said of the team’s chemistry. “A lot of these kids are learning. Whether you’re the guy on your team, they’re learning how to sacrifice and play for each other instead of playing for one team.
“Nobody cares that they’re not scoring points. We’re winning games, that’s all that matters. That’s a huge strength for our team for sure.”
Once the freshmen arrived in Butte for the integrated summer program run by Newton and his staff, the sophomores immediately accepted the younger players and showed them what it means to be part of the Roadrunners program and the hard work that goes into it, Feig said.
“Honestly, it’s so hard that the only way to get through it is to support each other and be accepting,” Vig said. “I wouldn’t be able to get through this without my teammates. We’re all experiencing the same things, so you become very close throughout the process. There’s a reward at the end.”
Stay hungry
Newton believes keeping his team hungry is the biggest challenge at this point as the Roadrunners’ record represents the strongest start in program history.
“I think the challenge is in the details that need improvement, you have to work hard to focus on those things. Those things may be harder to work on than the bigger things,” Newton said. “This (record) is better than last year’s team.” So how do you keep them hungry and try to keep getting better even though we’re so good in the toughest preseason schedule?
“We’re getting our experience right now. We’re talking about playing to our standard. Whether we’re playing the best team in the state or the worst team in the state, we’re going to play to our standard every time. Whether we win by a lot or a little, that’s what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Vig said she agrees.
“Going into the season, there was a lot of talk like, ‘They don’t have Megan, they’re not going to be good this season, they have a lot of freshmen,’ and I feel like we had a lot to prove and we still have a lot to prove,” Feige said. That alone keeps us hungry. We know people want first place, and we’re not willing to give it up.
The Butte College women’s basketball team is making waves in the California basketball scene, as they have recently been ranked first in the state. This impressive achievement has garnered attention from the local community and beyond, solidifying the team as a force to be reckoned with. With their exceptional talent and determination, the Butte College women’s basketball team is poised to continue their success and make a lasting impact on the basketball world.