'Magnificent Seven' help WCCC relaunch women's basketball program

Last year, on would-be women’s basketball game nights at Westmoreland County Community College, the gym was either quiet or being used for another event at the school.

Intramurals got more attention.

That is because there was no women’s basketball last year in Youngwood.

The season was shelved due to a lack of players. The Wolfpack could not put a starting five on the floor and the program suffered.

Caught in the middle was new coach James Brymn, who at first wondered what he had gotten himself into.

Brymn came in during unstable times. Gene Brisbane was not retained after three seasons in charge (and a 50-29 record), and many potential returning players opted not to come back.

While Brymn may have wrung his hands in the beginning, he stayed on task and, as a result, the team has returned this season — albeit a small team, but one with a competitve edge, nonetheless.

Bottom line: WCCC recovered.

A seven-player roster can’t scrimmage in practice, but it can play games, and that is what matters most to Brymn and the future of the program.

The Wolfpack (2-5) has even won a couple of games, toppling Garrett College, 59-56, and Butler County Community College, 45-29. Both wins came at home.

Brymn worked tirelessly to make sure the program stayed on the map.

“I had doubts for sure that we would struggle to field a team this season,” Brymn said. “We had two quality recruits that decided not to play — and are not playing elsewhere — so the scramble to get a team was chaotic. Those two would have made us a pretty good team. I am proud of our current team. Their effort, commitment and compete level is outstanding.

“The Magnificent Seven.”

WCCC’s top players are from the county.

Sophomore point guard Hannah Hempfield, the team’s most experienced player, is from Mt. Pleasant, while sophomore forward Mackenzie Markle played at Latrobe, and freshman guard Dymond Crawford is a Jeannette grad.

Markle is averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds through seven games, while Hempfield is scoring at a 14.3 clip and Crawford is contributing 14.5 points and 2.5 assists.

“I did believe the team was going to resurface and win, but I knew we would have to work hard in order for that to happen,” Markle said. “It can be tough only having seven girls sometimes, (but) we all get along really well and help each other on and off the court.”

The other players are freshmen Brooke Gillum (Southmoreland), Hannah O’Brien (Greensburg Salem), Myay Johnson (Greensburg Salem) and Julea Claycomb (Southmoreland).

Brymn hit the recruiting trail running last year, even though he was new to it, using the down time to check out dozens of high school games in the area.

The coach’s recruiting experience was greener than the trim on his team’s uniforms.

“I went to see games every night and Saturdays until the high school season ended,” said Brymn, a former Penn-Trafford girls assistant. “Since our season was canceled, I owed it to our athletic director, Brian Rose, and (Vice President of Enrollment Management) Dr. Sydney Beeler to start working on having enough players to play (this) season.

“Recruiting takes a lot of effort — and luck. You have to find a balance. You want to show that you really are interested yet not be annoying to players, parents or coaches. It has been a learning experience for me. Once I figure out the answers, then the success of our program will follow.”

What makes Brymn’s job even more challenging is that he can’t offer scholarship money. Instead, he pitches a fun brand of basketball and if nothing else, a memorable time.

“Fun is a big part of what I sell to recruits,” he said. “They will receive a great education at a below-market cost. They will not be saddled with excessive student loan debt after graduation. It is easy for a student-athlete to say they cannot play because they have too much going on. We practice around school and work schedules.”

WCCC returns to the court Thursday after a nine-day layoff to play at WVU Potomac State College.

Each game is a learning experience for a young group, but they want to do more than just field a team.

“I am happy for the kids who are proud and happy to help lay the foundation for next season,” Brymn said. “I am happy with the improvement we are making. I judge myself on our won-loss record. I have to be better. I will be better.”

Brymn said he should have five newcomers join the program next season, a group that could conjoin with five returnees.

“I am still looking at more,” he said. “We will have competition and with numbers, I can put my system in, and once that happens, then I can reload instead of rebuild. Next season, I can put in my up-tempo style of play.

“The numbers will allow me to play at a faster pace. I can’t wait for that.”