Benedict coach knew basketball season was over. Why he took time to tell his team

The Benedict College women’s basketball team will have to wait for a chance at another NCAA Division II tournament run.

The Tigers, who exited early in last year’s Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament and stayed home for the NCAAs, cruised to their fourth SIAC title in eight years March 7. While earning a sixth seed in the South regional, they were set to play No. 3 seed Tampa at Lee University’s Adams Arena in Cleveland, Tennessee, on Friday, March 13.

Thursday the 12th proved a more impactful date for the Tigers — and all college basketball teams. That was the day the NCAA announced that all postseason tournaments were canceled because of the spreading threat of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I heard a little bit about the tournament might be postponed,” Benedict head coach James Rice said.

Benedict sports information director Dennis Switzer called the coach during practice to discuss possibilities.

“He told me they (the NCAA) were thinking about canceling,” Rice recalled. “We were practicing then, so I said to call me back when you find out. So I went back out there to practice, and five minutes later Dennis called again and said it’s over with.”

While Rice knew the game and the tournament were off, his team was still on the floor.

Instead of telling the team the news right away, Rice talked to them about how much he cared about their health and what they’ve done for the Benedict program.

“Sometimes you never know, you might not get a chance to see them anymore,” Rice said. “I still didn’t tell them, but I let them enjoy the moment together. I started taking pictures of them. I never take pictures, so I guess they knew that something was going on.

“My eyes were watering up, but I was holding back at that time.”

Just before he got the team in a practice-breaking circle, Rice told each player how much they were appreciated. And then he broke the news.

“The look on their faces, you can see that hard work. I can read it,” Rice said. “They put in a lot of work up until that point to win a championship. I just let them know how much I cared about them, and then I let them down easy. It wasn’t that hard.”

Ay’Anna Bey, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, returned home to Blackwood, New Jersey in the days that followed. She said the team took it hard, naturally, but understood.

“It was disappointing but we knew that it was done for our safety,” Bey said. “We understood the reasoning behind it, but we worked hard all season and it was taken away from us.”

The team ate at LongHorn Steakhouse that night, which Rice said was helpful in drawing the season to a close. The next day the Tigers left on the bus for Columbia. Rice, who drove up to Tennessee by himself, stayed behind to reflect on what was, and what might have been.

“I was so depressed,” he said. “I sat out there in the parking lot, and just watched. Those kids had opportunities. How special this team was.”

By the time Rice got back to Columbia, the Tigers’ players and all Benedict students had either left campus because of COVID-19 concerns or were intending to leave to go home. Students had to leave campus by that Monday, March 16.

Planning for the 2020-21 season is already under way, Rice said.

In the past week he’s been looking to schedule exhibition games with Division I schools — including the South Carolina women, who were themselves hurt with the play stoppage.

“I’m super excited for next season,” he said.

The Gamecocks, who were gunning for their second Division I national title this spring, are at the top of his list for possible opponents.

Beyond games, he’s looking at all of his players returning.

“I hope they remain disciplined and healthy, that they’re working on their game, doing their schoolwork,” Rice said. “I’ve got to rely on them to go out there and prove on a national level, on an elite level, that we can play.”

That won’t be any problem for Bey, a rising senior.

“Definitely. This is my opportunity now,” Bey said about the coming season. “I’m going to be a senior and it’s all or nothing. My last year at Benedict, and I want to make a statement and have us win it all.”

This story was originally published March 23, 2020 at 7:45 AM.