INSTITUTE, W.Va. - When West Virginia State women's basketball leading scorer Chelsey Davis was lost to a season-ending knee injury earlier in the 2011-12 campaign, it was a tough blow for the Yellow Jackets.
Davis was the West Virginia Conference Freshman of the Year last season and was averaging 12.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game before being lost for 2011-12 in mid-December.
Needing someone to step up in the void left by Davis, State has certainly received that - especially of late - in sophomore Jordan Brock, a former Winfield High standout.
Brock has scored in double figures in three of the last four games, including a career-high 23 points in a 102-79 loss to rival University of Charleston last week. Brock was 9-for-13 from the floor, including a 2-for-2 effort from 3-point range.
"It's always really great having a good game like that," Brock said. "It gets your self-confidence up. But we didn't win. Basically the individual stuff means nothing to me. I want the 'W' and we didn't get that."
The Yellow Jackets (7-10, 4-9) are 2-5 since Davis' injury, and will try to snap a four-game losing skid today at 5:30 p.m. at Fleming Hall against Seton Hill (7-11, 6-6).
Brock knew losing Davis was going to be tough, but it would open up opportunities for others, and she has taken advantage.
"Chelsey is a great player, both offensively and defensively," Brock said. "It hurt us to have lost our leading scorer and everything else. We all realized we had to step up. My teammates are relying on me."
West Virginia State Coach Renee Bostic is pleased with the way Brock has stepped up in the absence of Davis.
INSTITUTE, W.Va. - When West Virginia State women's basketball leading scorer Chelsey Davis was lost to a season-ending knee injury earlier in the 2011-12 campaign, it was a tough blow for the Yellow Jackets.
Davis was the West Virginia Conference Freshman of the Year last season and was averaging 12.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game before being lost for 2011-12 in mid-December.
Needing someone to step up in the void left by Davis, State has certainly received that - especially of late - in sophomore Jordan Brock, a former Winfield High standout.
Brock has scored in double figures in three of the last four games, including a career-high 23 points in a 102-79 loss to rival University of Charleston last week. Brock was 9-for-13 from the floor, including a 2-for-2 effort from 3-point range.
"It's always really great having a good game like that," Brock said. "It gets your self-confidence up. But we didn't win. Basically the individual stuff means nothing to me. I want the 'W' and we didn't get that."
The Yellow Jackets (7-10, 4-9) are 2-5 since Davis' injury, and will try to snap a four-game losing skid today at 5:30 p.m. at Fleming Hall against Seton Hill (7-11, 6-6).
Brock knew losing Davis was going to be tough, but it would open up opportunities for others, and she has taken advantage.
"Chelsey is a great player, both offensively and defensively," Brock said. "It hurt us to have lost our leading scorer and everything else. We all realized we had to step up. My teammates are relying on me."
West Virginia State Coach Renee Bostic is pleased with the way Brock has stepped up in the absence of Davis.
"Jordan is starting to come along and getting better and better," Bostic said. "The sky is the limit for her. She has the ability to play a couple different positions. She brings it day-in and day-out. She has helped us out a lot."
Brock is starting to make a name for herself at State for better reasons in her first full season. The sophomore gave up basketball after graduating from Winfield in 2009, but returned for the second semester last year.
"I thought I didn't want to play ball anymore after graduating high school so I went to West Virginia (University) for a semester," Brock said. "But I decided I missed playing ball, so I'm back down here (State) doing what I love.
"I missed the game and I missed being home. I decided, 'Why am I up here at WVU when I can be down here at State and play ball?' I missed it a lot and wanted to be back on the court."
Bostic and Brock are certainly glad she made the decision to return to basketball.
"It just happened to work out for us both," Bostic said. "We had recruited her out of high school but she decided she didn't want to play. She missed the game, though, contacted us, and transferred in the second semester last year. It's a great thing."
Along with Brock, Bostic is getting contributions from several local standouts as four of the nine players left on the State roster have area ties.
Brock, South Charleston graduate Sissy Wagner, and Asia Greenleaf of Parkersburg South all start for WVSU. Charleston Catholic graduate Maria Femia, a Fairmont State transfer, plays a prominent role off the bench.
