Gaston College basketball wraps up first semester with road trip to Florida

Gaston College has established a tradition of long, bonding road trips into North Florida.

This year's trip, which comes this weekend to play Sunday's 3 p.m. game at Chipola, Fla., will put a cap on the Rhinos' first semester schedule.

"It's a big time game," interim Gaston College head coach Jermaine Williams said of playing the Indians. "I know they've been a top 10 team and I know they're going to be big and have a lot of good players.
"But if we play fast, play together and play as one, I'm going to give us a chance."

Chipola (10-1) has been ranked as high as No. 5 in the national rankings and are currently No. 14 with the Indians' lone loss coming against unbeaten No. 20 Indian River State, Fla. (11-0) on Dec. 2.

Chipola is a two-time NJCAA national runner-up (1974 and 2007), 27-time Panhandle Conference champion, 18-time NJCAA national tournament participant and 17-time Region 8 champion. The Indians have won three straight Region 8 titles and made three straight NJCAA national tournament appearances.

Previous Gaston College visits to that region also have seen the Rhinos face stiff competition as the Rhinos played at Northwest Florida in November 2021 and December 2022 - or early in seasons in which that school won the 2022 National Junior College Athletic Association championship and finished as 2023 national runner-up.

"I'm going to giving us a chance to do the unthinkable," Williams said. "We leave out Saturday, get a chance to stay two nights in Florida, and get time to bond, grow, and have some laughs.
"Right now, we're looking to get guys back healthy, be at full strength, and have Yaya (Evans) officially back in January."

Evans missed the enrollment deadline to be eligible for the first semester but will be eligible when the Rhinos return to action in the second semester Jan. 8 at the Lees-McRae developmental team; A 6-foot-7, 200-pound post player from Brooklyn, N.Y., Evans averaged 6.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 25 games (14 starts) last season for Gaston College.

Injury or illness have also cost rotation players Jalante Edwards (2 games), Jamal Ukaegbu (1 game) Michael Smith (1 game) and Ajaden Gray (1 game) to miss time this season. Another player, Branden Burnell, has yet to play this season because of injury.

Through 11 games and a 5-6 start, Asil Hoyle (12.8 points per game), Tyheim Love (11.8), Kush Carter (11.5), Ukaegbu (11.0), Judah Ravenell (9.9), Smith (9.1), Edwards (6.8), Jaeshaun Murchison (3.9), Gray (3.4), Mason Rivera-Lind (3.3) and Jaylon Craig (3.2) lead a balanced offense.

Ukaegbu (6.8 per game), Smith (5.7) and Ravenell (5.1) are the top rebounders and Ukaegbu (2.6 per game) and Hoyle (2.5) lead in assists.

The team's offensive balance showed best in last Saturday's 119-79 win over Double Exposure Hoops at Gastonia's Ashbrook High School as the Rhinos tied a score record for offensive balance with seven double figure scorers - Love had 20, Murchison 19, Carter 18, Hoyle 15, Ukaegbu 13, Craig 13 and Rivera-Lind 10.

"We're working every day to get better and grow as a team," Williams said.