RAYMOND — The Hinds Community College women’s basketball team hasn’t had a winning record this century, but it does have a new look for this season that it hopes will end the streak.

The Lady Eagles improved from two wins to 10 in head coach Tomekia Reed’s first season, and her latest recruiting class brought in three top local talents — guard Octavia Barnes (Raymond), forward Twila Hill (Callaway) and forward Zyaire Ewing (Natchez) — that she thinks can help the program reach the MACJC state tournament.

“Right now, looking at some of the other teams in the league, I feel like we can be competitive. I feel like we can reach the state tournament,” Reed said. “We have program-changers on the team. This team should be the best Hinds team in a long time.”

That’s a low bar to clear. Hinds went 13-91 from 2010-15, and was winless in the 2012-13 season. It improved to 10-13 after Reed took over last season.

The new recruits, however, bring both skill and experience with success.
Hill starred on a Callaway team that reached the Class 5A championship game last season, and Ewing was the leading scorer on a Natchez team that won the 5A title in 2015. Barnes was part of a successful program at Hinds AHS, then helped Raymond win the Class 4A title in 2015. She transferred back home after a brief stint at Michigan State.

Reed said the Lady Eagles have some work yet to do, but thinks they can get where they want to go. The season begins Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. against Mississippi Delta, at home in Utica.

“We were exposed at our jamboree. We have grown, but we have a lot of room to grow on our chemistry,” Reed said. “We definitely want to show improvement, but we have expectations. We didn’t make the state tournament last year and we want to get there.”

Hinds’ men’s team has the same goal after finishing 7-16 last season, but it also has a lot of reason for optimism. Three players who averaged double figures in scoring last season, and the top five scorers overall, are all back.

“Our freshman class is playing tremendous,” Hinds men’s coach Ralph Moore said. “Last year we only had three guys who were returning and it made it difficult for us. This year we have four guys who average in double figures.”

The list of returning starters for Hinds includes point guard David Robinson. The former Warren Central star averaged 10.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game last season.
Robinson also has a 3.8 GPA, and Moore said his leadership was crucial to the team’s success.

“That’s where it starts, is from the top. David is our point guard, and if he’s late he’s in a class,” Moore said, noting that Robinson missed Hinds’ basketball media day last week to attend an academic seminar.

“It’s always good to have somebody like David leading your basketball team.”

Now the Eagles just need to achieve that same level of success on the court.

“We’ll definitely have a shot at making the state tournament,” Moore said. “We want to be the winner of the South Division so we can host the state tournament. That’s a goal we can attain.”