The Three Rivers College women’s basketball team is just five wins away from bringing home the first national championship in program history.

The Lady Raiders will leave Poplar Bluff early Saturday morning to begin the trek to Casper, Wyoming for the NJCAA Division I national women’s basketball tournament. Games tip off Tuesday at the Ford Wyoming Center and 11th-seeded Three Rivers makes its debut Wednesday afternoon against No. 22 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

“It’s an exciting feeling,” TRC freshman Samari Taylor said. “We’ve worked for it all year and it’s what we’ve been talking about since August — and now that it’s finally here, it’s a surreal feeling.”

Being in sight of the team’s first national title also is not lost on TRC coach Alex Wiggs.

“This is everybody’s goal at the beginning of the year, every team across the country,” Wiggs said. “We’re just very fortunate and very blessed to have a great group of young ladies, a great assistant coach (in Caleb Livingston) that has put in the work and that has got us to where we wanted to be whenever we started this thing in August.”

Despite being the underdogs against Three Rivers, MGCCC is no pushover. The Bulldogs (23-4) have won 11 in a row and 17 of their last 18 games, including upsetting Pearl River to earn a berth at the national tournament.

MGCCC ranks in the top 20 nationally in defensive rebounds and field goal percentage — plus allows just 53 points per contest, the seventh-lowest total in the country.

“They’re very athletic and they’re good,” Wiggs said, “which all 24 teams there are good. They’re big and they’re athletic. They’ve got some really good post players that will go rebound the thing that are physical, so we’re going to have to make sure that we’re prepared for that — and then just match their intensity. It’s one of those where there are no bad teams out there at the national tournament.”

Taylor echoed her coach’s sentiments.

“We’re going to treat every team like they’re all deserving to be there, so we’re going to come in ready to play — we can’t underestimate any team,” Taylor said. “But as far as thoughts, we’re just focusing on ourselves and getting ready to play.”

The Lady Raiders (27-4) also know who they will play if they win Wednesday against MGCCC, as sixth-seeded Shelton State awaits in the round of 16 on Thursday.

But Wiggs isn’t looking that far ahead just yet.

“Shelton’s a team that is always in the talk and is always there, so we’re familiar with Shelton State,” Wiggs said. “Again, very athletic, a very well-coached team there — but honestly, we only know Shelton from watching them throughout the year. 

“Our No. 1 priority right now is Mississippi Gulf Coast, but we like our matchups we like our path along the journey and all that stuff. But again, we know that any one of these 24 teams can win on a given night.”

So what do the Lady Raiders have to do to win it all?

“I think the biggest thing that we have to do is like the girls say, just stay with what we do,” Wiggs said. “We don’t have to go out there and now all of a sudden start dunking it or making every shot. We’ve just got to stay with what we do — and that’s attitude, effort, communication every single day, make sure we bring the energy and make sure that we’re ready to compete when the ball gets thrown in the air.”

Said Taylor: “The same thing we’ve been doing all year communication and just bringing it to a higher level now that it’s the national tournament. But (stick) to the principles that we usually do, and we should be fine.”

TRC freshman Kiera Neal echoes their sentiments.

“It’s the same as how we’ve been going all year,” Neal said. “We have to play smarter and limit our mistakes, but it’s the same thing (as it’s been) all year we have to have energy coming (against) every team like we want to beat them.”

Neal credits the team’s leaders including the sophomore trio of Da’Kariya “Lia” Jackson, Amiya Johnson and Mya Davidson — for the team’s success this season and for their shot at a title.

“A lot of us are freshmen, so coming in they had more experience than us,” Neal said. “So us looking at them and watching how they play, I feel like that was like a big part of our success.”

Wiggs also praises his squad’s toughness and ability to overcome adversity no small achievement on a team that features just two returnees from last season and 13 freshmen.

“I think a lot of credit goes to not only Amiya Johnson and Da’Kariya Jackson being those returners and those sophomore leaders, but also those freshmen coming in here, buying in, accepting their roles and just being being ready to step in during big-time moments,” Wiggs said. “Our motto all year is we don’t know what’s going to happen, but we’ve got to be prepared if somebody does go down.”

Last but not least, Wiggs credits the school and community for its support, especially during the team’s 12-game winning streak that has it on the verge of winning it all.

“I just want to thank thank the community, thank (TRC president) Dr. (Wes) Payne, thank the faculty and staff here at Three Rivers for the overwhelming support that we’ve had the last couple of weeks — and we appreciate it,” Wiggs said.

Mike Buhler - Daily American Republic