Owen McCall – Staff Writer
Janice Washington is well into her third season as the head coach of the Daytona State women’s basketball program. Entering the 2018-19 season, the Lady Falcons came off a successful 2017-18 campaign where the team finished the season 20-10, going 7-2 in conference play and winning the Mid-Florida Conference Championship.
Washington was named Coach of the Year for the 2017-18 season. Before coming to Daytona State, Washington attended Campbell University in North Carolina and played on the school’s women’s basketball team under head coach Wanda Watkins. She then had two stints as an assistant at Campbell, the first lasting from 2002 to 2008 and the second from 2013 to 2016. In addition, she also spent one season as the head coach at Lackawanna College in Pennsylvania, where the Lackawanna Falcons posted a 15-12 record. She also spent a season as an assistant coach at a high school in Vicenza, Italy, where the team went 17-3 and won the European Championship.
The team is now 8-1 at home. What do you think has contributed to the team’s success at home this season?
Washington: “Honestly, I feel like we’ve been a good home team for a very long time. One of the most important parts of playing in state is protecting your home court. We’ve done well at home and have some big wins on the road. We’ve had good road wins, winning at St. Pete, at Eastern Florida, at Santa Fe, all hard teams to beat on the road.”
In general, what do you think has contributed to the overall success of the team this season?
Washington: “We’re deeper than my first two seasons here, so having that depth where the players coming off the bench are solid and can start at any position. Last time we checked, we had two players averaging double digits. We don’t have to depend on one person, and don’t have to worry about one player producing on an off night. We’ve honestly not had all 15 players all year. It’s great having that bench depth at that point, and someone can step right in and fill that void.”
With Melissa Sam committing to Delaware State, what other NCAA programs have come by to scout talent?
Washington: “Coastal Carolina has been here, UCF has been here, there’s been a lot of schools here. It’s a little difficult to gauge, but we have five players with offers right now. Some of our freshmen would like to play a second season to finish their degrees. We’re trying to make good decisions with our sophomores, and helping them understand their visits and guide them through the recruiting process.”
As the conference schedule goes on, what areas do you think the team can continue to improve on?
Washington: “I think we can improve our conference shooting percentage. Our free throw percentage before the conference was just under 50. We lead the state in free throws attempted. Knocking down those free throws are important as we move down the stretch. Coming out and defending at a high level is important. We also need to improve our shooting from the three-point line.”
Of all the games this team has played so far, which one would you say was the biggest challenge faced?
Washington: “I’d say when we played Northwest Florida. We had the most turnovers in both of those games compared to other teams, but every game is important in regards to conference and state seeding. Closing out the conference schedule strong and playing in the tournament is going to be big over the next month.”
The Lady Falcons will finish the regular season this month. They play two home games this month, Saturday, Feb. 16, against the College of Central Florida and Saturday, Feb. 23, against Florida State College at Jacksonville. Both games will be played at the L. Gale Lemerand Center and tipoff is at 2 p.m.