HARRISON -- Berniezha Tidwell is seeking the perfect ending for the school and the team that not only helped to revitalize her basketball career, but provided a positive environment after two years of uncertainty.
Tidwell averaged 16.1 points and 4.5 steals per game in her senior season of high school, in which the Hot Springs Lady Trojans won the program's first state championship since 1998. Tidwell and fellow team leaders Ashley Clayborn and Tiaunna Watkins helped Mark Upshaw win his first state title in 14 years as a head coach. The game ended up as Upshaw's last before he stepped down the following semester.
Highland Community College (34-0) is in the semifinals of the 2018 National Junior College Athletic Association's Division II Women's Basketball Championship tournament in Harrison after defeating No. 6 seed Cape Fear Community College (28-8), , on Wednesday night inside Pioneer Pavilion on the campus of North Arkansas College.
Tidwell signed with Sam Houston State in the Division I Southland Conference out of high school. She left the team in her first semester, but was allowed to finish out the year on scholarship.
Her next destination was Baton Rouge Community College in Louisiana. A miscommunication between the coach and Tidwell about a scholarship left her to seek another option.
Tidwell landed at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, near Pensacola. She played 12 straight games after the first semester, averaging 10.1 points per game.
Northwest Florida began the season 14-2, including a 4-0 start to Tidwell's time with the team. The Raiders then lost their last 11 games.
Tidwell planned to return to Arkansas and attend Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, but her credits did not meet certain requirements. The coach at Southern Arkansas helped Tidwell connect with coach B.J. Smith at Highland in Kansas.
"It took a lot of getting used to with the coach because he is way different than any other coach I have ever had," Tidwell said. "He is really intense all of the time, every practice, but it was good for me. It was good for me growing as a player."
Smith is 233-38 as a community college coach and 284-65 overall, with experience at the high school, NAIA and NCAA Division I levels. He led the Scotties to the national championship game in 2015. His former players have moved on to teams such as Memphis, DePaul, Arkansas State and Oklahoma.
Highland and Smith provided steadying influences for Tidwell. He said she has seen growth in Tidwell on and off of the court in her time with the team.
"She has become a much better student at our place," Tidwell said. "Off of the floor, she has done great. We have not had any issues with her.
"As a teammate and as a basketball player, she is more mature. She used to let a lot of things bother her and she has gotten better at playing through it. She is vital to our success."
Tidwell said her adjustment time on the court was shorter than she expected. She said she continued to work and shoot as much as she could while her career was in flux, and her teammates at Highland are able to take much of the pressure off of her.
"It just doesn't depend on a few players to make something happen in a team like we have," Tidwell said. "You can depend on everybody on your team. It has been pretty cool."
Leading scorer Mariane De Caravalho is averaging 19.4 points per game. She is the program's all-time leading scorer and broke the school's single-season record with 22 points in a 75-53 win over Macomb Community College (25-7) in the first round on Tuesday. De Caravalho is drawing interest from teams across the country, including several Southeastern Conference programs.
Tidwell is second on the team with 15.1 points per game. She said Smith allows her to attack the basket from the wing instead of running the offense at point guard as she has with previous teams.
"He likes to reverse the ball a couple of times," Tidwell said. "He likes for everybody to touch the ball before we try to score. He says if we have the lane to go score and we know we can, then he wants us to score.
"He loves the three. He doesn't really like the mid-range that much, which is something because that is my game. I have never been a big 3-point shooter, but he loves the three. He says if it is open to pull the trigger."
The Scotties began the year ranked No. 10 in the country in the preseason. They improved to No. 8 with a record of 12-0 by the first in-season poll in December.
Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference foe Johnson County Community College began the preseason ranked No. 2, behind defending champion Kirkwood Community College. Kirkwood defeated Johnson County in last year's final.
Highland steadily moved up in the poll as the team remained undefeated, but most were uncertain about exactly how much potential the team had.
"The problem was our schedule early on was pretty soft," Smith said. "We didn't really get challenged until we got in conference. We played Johnson County at our place, who was ranked fourth in the country at the time, and we beat them by 40-something. At that point, I thought we had a chance to be pretty good down the stretch."
Highland was undefeated in conference play, including the 108-65 victory over Johnson County on Jan. 27. The Scotties qualified for the national tournament by winning the NJCAA Region VI Women's Division II Basketball Tournament, besting Johnson County again, 71-51, in the final.
"When we went undefeated in conference and won the region championship, I think that is when we all thought we really could win the whole thing," Tidwell said.
Tidwell said Smith steadies the team, keeps them wary of their opponents and prevents them from becoming too confident.
"It is good for us because he does not want us to go in thinking anything will be easy," Tidwell said. "He really doesn't have to tell us that. We already had that mindset that anything can happen. If you have been watching March Madness, the NCAA Tournament for the women and the men, No. 1 seeds are out and No. 2 seeds are out. It is really crazy.
"We just try not to underestimate our opponents and focus on what we have to do to win the game."
A boost during the season came by way of this year's Lady Trojans following in Tidwell's footsteps with the Class 5A state championship on March 10.
"State champs. I love it. I love it, I love it, I love it," Tidwell said. "The freshmen that played with us in our state championship, Ari (Guinn) and Imani (Honey), they needed that. I wanted them to get two, but it's OK. They got that one and it was really good.
"I was so excited when I heard about it. I wish I could have been there to watch it. They are getting some looks now."
Tidwell received another boost on Tuesday as her parents and grandmother traveled to Harrison to watch the opening game. She said it was the first time in years they were able to watch her play after transferring three times following high school.
Upshaw also made the trip Tuesday with his wife, Lisa.
"It was very good and very emotional," Tidwell said. "I have been through a lot since high school. Having them here supporting me really meant a lot to me, especially with my high school coach."
Monroe Community College (30-2), Kirkwood (32-3) and Highland have been ranked first, second and third in every poll since Jan. 23, and are the top three seeds in the national tournament. Highland will play in the semifinals Friday at 6 p.m. against the winner of Wedneday's other quarterfinal game between Kirkwood and NorthArk (20-6).
"You've got to stay healthy, you've got to continue to make shots and it is such a process," Smith said. "You just never know what is going to happen for them in the last few weeks.
"It is a good group of kids. They are all enjoyable to be around. We've just got to win some more."
Sports on 03/22/2018