After an unusually long wait for the season to start, The Eastern Mennonite Royals men’s and women’s basketball teams finally got back in action. The men’s team opened at home and had a hard-fought overtime game against the Lynchburg Hornets that resulted in a 95-87 loss. Senior guard Tim Jones had a double-double with 17 points and ten assists. Jones was excited to finally play a game after a long time off. “It was surreal getting out there to play this past weekend. My teammates and I cherished every second out there. It is a privilege to play at any point this season,” said Jones. Even though it was a loss, there were still some positive things that came from the game. “The team sharing the ball, locking up on defense, and staying resilient throughout the game were some positive things that we did,” said Jones.
The women’s basketball team played one game over the past weekend and one game during the week. They opened at home against Emory and Henry, which resulted in a 72-43 loss. They then went on the road to Ferrum, where they lost 82-41. Due to her experience, Junior forward Constance Komara is in a bigger role for the Royals this season. “My role for this year is to not only be a leader but to also be a scorer. We don’t have as many scorers on our team as we have had in previous years, so I definitely need to put up bigger numbers this year,” said Komara. With a young team, it takes some adjusting to the speed of the game. “I think we’re adjusting okay. We have a lot of newbies who are nervous, so it is challenging with only two upperclassmen that have the experience” said Komara.
Jenny Posey, Women’s Basketball Head Coach, is heading into her third season with the Royals.he is excited about the team and the goals she has for them. “As for everyone, this is a year unlike any other. First and foremost, our goals are to stay healthy and to continue to put ourselves in the position to be able to compete. After that, we want to maximize our potential by showing up to practice each day with a growth mindset and improving game in and game out. Our culture is that we compete with fire. We want anyone watching us to have no doubt that we not only love to play the game but do it to the very best of our abilities,” said Posey. After two games, Posey has seen some positive things from her team so far. “The most positive thing I’ve seen from our team in the first two games is one that we have seen play out every single day since the start of the season. Whether it’s in the moments on the court or the little moments off the court, this group has proven that they are the true definition of a team. We not only play selflessly, but we play with a ton of heart. This is the type of basketball we’ve been working hard to establish in our program, and with growth and experience it will make us hard to stop,” said Posey.
Both the men’s and women’s programs are on a ten day pause due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing within the programs. Both teams hope to resume play as soon as possible and keep moving with the momentum that they have.
