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Mandela starts hot for Buffs start

By Kelly Hodge
Press Managing Sports Editor
khodge@johnsoncitypress.com

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Heather Mandela has picked up where she left off for the Milligan College women’s basketball team.

The 6-foot junior from Fairfax, Va., has collected 47 points and 21 rebounds in the Lady Buffs’ first two games, both victories. She had 25 and 12, respectively, in a hard-fought 78-73 win over Berea on Tuesday night.

Mandela was honorable-mention All-America last season after averaging 18.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. She led the nation in defensive rebounds and was seventh in field-goal percentage (.564).

“She just continues to grow,” coach Rich Aubrey said Thursday. “One of the best things about Heather, she’s a hard worker and is extremely coachable. Obviously she’s a very gifted athlete physically, but also mentally and emotionally.”

Aubrey describes Mandela’s game as “a really nice mix of low-post power and touch. She has a nice turnaround jump shot and can make the power move to the basket. She’s hard to guard.”

Alisha Mainer was also a difference-maker in the Berea game, in which Milligan had to play catch-up in the second half. The sophomore center from Unicoi County had 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The Lady Buffs will hit the road for the first time when they play in the Shorter Classic this weekend in Rome, Ga. They face Concordia-Selma tonight and then the host school, Shorter College, on Saturday.

“I don’t know a lot about Concordia; this is their first game,” said Aubrey. “They’re traditionally a fast, pressing team. Shorter is always very solid and very well-coached. It should be an interesting weekend.”

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The Milligan men will also be at Shorter to open their season. They play the host school tonight and Concordia-Selma on Saturday.

The weekend marks the debut of Bill Robinson as Milligan coach.

The Buffs hope they got something out of a 113-61 loss Tuesday night at East Tennessee State in their only exhibition of the preseason. Freshman point guard Justin Sylvester, a Dobyns-Bennett product, led the team with 16 points. Junior forward Cordero Seymour added 11 points and five rebounds.

Milligan doesn’t play a home game until Montreat visits Lacy Fieldhouse on Nov. 18.

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It seems like a long time since the men’s soccer team wrapped up the regular-season championship in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. That’s because it has been.

The Buffs haven’t suited up since the 3-1 clincher over Tennessee Wesleyan on Oct. 24. A scheduled non-conference date with Carson-Newman four days later had to be scrapped so the Eagles could make up a SAC game.

“We’ve had two solid weeks of down time,” coach Adam Laney said Thursday. “I have mixed emotions about it. We’ve had a chance to heal and be fresh, but we may have lost a little edge from a competitive standpoint. I think we’ve still got a bit of that buzz from winning it and being able to host the conference tournament all the way through. There’s definitely some morale that comes with that.”

The Buffs finished 6-1 in the AAC, with their lone loss coming at Union, 1-0 in overtime, more than a month ago. They are 10-4-1 overall.

Next up is an AAC quarterfinal against winless Virginia Intermont (0-8, 0-13) Saturday night at 7. Milligan won the regular-season matchup with the Cobras 3-1.

“They’re reinstating their program — this is their first year back — and they’ve fough through a long season,” said Laney. “They have a few guys with some talent. Hopefully they don’t hit their stride this weekend.”

The conference semifinals will be next Friday, with the championship match the following day.

Laney said Milligan has produced a genuine team effort this season, with a few individual standouts.

“Our senior captain, Phil Wilson, started slow but really came on strong in the final stretch,” said Laney. “He’s kind of been the spark in a lot of those close games. Sandre (Wilson) has been a great addition to the team. He’s a physical presence and draws attention just being on the field. We have a newcomer, Nahom Tekle, who worked his way into the starting lineup and has really matured.”

Phillip Wilson leads the team with 12 goals, and Sandre Wilson has eight. Joshua Scott is the top assist man, with five.

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The women’s soccer team finished second in the conference at 4-1-2 (6-4-5 overall) and will host Montreat in a quarterfinal Saturday at 4.

It’s a rematch of a game played just last Sunday at Montreat, won by the Lady Buffs 4-0. Four different players scored goals, and Milligan outshot the Lady Cavs 19-3.

Kelsey Kind of Johnson City leads the Lady Buffs with five goals this season. Goalkeeper Heather Crumplen has four shutouts and was named the AAC player of the week on Tuesday.

Union (7-0) is the top seed on the women’s side and will host the semifinals and championship match next weekend.

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It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the Milligan volleyball team, and so far it adds up to a 15-15 record. In the last month, the Lady Buffs have won four straight matches, then lost four straight, then won again in their last outing, at Montreat.

They stand at 9-5 in the AAC, good for fourth place, with road matches left at Reinhardt and Bryan. Union (14-1) and Bryan (13-1) are atop the standings.

Sophomore Morgan Rutledge was Tuesday named conference libero of the week, while freshman Chelsea Spivey was setter of the week.