TYLER, Texas — Welcome home Apache Ladies, now the national champions of NJCAA women’s basketball with a 92-80 win over Georgia Highlands College in the championship game.
“I couldn't believe it," Apache guard Tia Morgan said. "Like I was just in shock, honestly. And then I instantly went to hug my teammates like it was surreal."
"You literally were in shock when the confetti was coming down," head coach Trenia Tillis-Hoard said. "I still was sitting there going? Is this really for us? I was waiting for Ashton Kutcher to come out and say you've been punked, and the tournament starts tomorrow. But it didn't happen. I mean, our kids did the work.”
Game one went into overtime with TJC defeating Chipola by just two points. But game two is where TJC made us believers. obliterating the number one team in the nation.
"We didn't care that they were number one," Apache guard Shadiya Thomas said. "Nobody cared that they were number one, except I think them."
Tillis-Hoard willed the team to win with just three words.
"She told us to do it yourself," Morgan said. "She wrote it on the board every time we went in that locker room, and she was like, it's up to y'all. Like you guys know what to do. So go out there and do it. And that's all she had to say. We understood the assignment and we got it done."
Deborah Ogayemi was named winning tournament MVP after averaging 17 rebounds per game.
"It was all God," Ogayemi said. "I give it all to him on my teammates as well. Like I honestly couldn't have done anything without them. I told him like rebounding wise, if you shoot it, I promise our workouts go get it for you. Just do the same for me and like be confident in your shot."
Tillis-Hoard came out the winning coach of the tournament but she recalled it all happening so fast.
"Oh my Lord, you know, I think that'll sit in next week," Hoard said. "Right now, I have the hardware. I have it where it says Trenia Tillis-Hoard, coach of the tournament. We have that trophy in the trophy case, but I'm still gonna have to walk past it a few times to see if it's really real. You know, that gospel song that says let me touch it to see if it's real, that's me right there."