Transylvania’s five seniors have gone 59-1 the last two seasons and play for the national title Saturday. (Transylvania Athletics Photo)
Having a two-week break between playing in the national semifinals and the NCAA Division III national championship game could cause stressful times for a coach.
Transylvania women’s coach Juli Fulks, though, doesn’t see it that way going into Saturday’s game in Dallas between her Pioneers (32-0) and Christopher Newport (31-0) on the CBS Sports Network.
“It’s actually been really fun. One practice we went through our favorite moments of the Final Four and the good things that have happened since we got back to practice (after the national semifinal win),” said Fulks. “They are making the most of it. All of them are playing basketball because that is what they love. They are not complaining about two more weeks of basketball.”
The long break is because the NCAA wanted to celebrate the 50th year of Title IX but having the Division I, II and III championship games all the same weekend in the same city.
“While all our players are enjoying the ride, they don’t want to just get there. They want to bring the (championship) trophy home,” Fulks said about her team’s first Final Four appearance. “Their greatest strength is the love of competition and playing. When they walk in the gym, they are ready to go. They know why they are in this game.”
Fulks has started four players the last two years — Transy was 27-1 during the 2021-22 season — who are now seniors.
“We know this is the last game now and they want to go out on top,” Fulks said.
Madison Kellione, a senior from Harrison County, averages 15.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. She has a team-high 143 assists.
“She was our conference player of the year and our conference female athlete of the year. She’s a true point guard who loves to score but can run the show, She has ice water in her veins,” Fulks said. “She hit a huge 3 (in the national semifinal win.”
Senior Kennedi Stacy of Magoffin County averages 14.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game and has a team-high 74 steals.
“She is always a crowd favorite because she plays so fearlessly,” Fulks said. “She was our conference defensive player of the year.”
Senior Dasia Thornton, a 5-11 center, adds 12.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. She’s a 51.6 percent shooter with 42 steals and 17 blocks. Laken Ball is a 6-1 forward from Beckley, W.V., who has a team-high 47 blocks and averages 10.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
“They both anchor us in the post. Laken is more of a true center who also loves to shoot the 3 and is a hard guard. Dasia is athletic and hard to stay in front of. She has a quick first step and gets a lot of people in foul trouble,” Fulks said.
Junior Sydney Wright of Harrison County is the fifth starter and contributes 6.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
“Obviously Kentucky is a basketball state and we are grateful for all the praise and attention we have gotten,” Fulks said. “We try to do a great job recruiting in Kentucky. We always want to keep Kentucky players home.”
Division III offers no athletic scholarships and Fulks says most of her players had other offers before deciding Transy was right for them.
“Academics are a huge driver. Lexington is also a great place to be a student. Then basketball obviously is part of it,” the coach said. “They are all great student-athletes, great in the classroom and great in the community. We try to be as well rounded as we can be while also being good on the basketball court.”
That helps explain why the coach says there will be a “huge contingent” of students and faculty coming to Dallas to watch Transy try to win its first national championship.
“The faculty has been awesome. The president and his wife have been at every game in the front row with the students,” Fulks said. “There was a welcome party when we can in (from the national semifinal win) and will be a sendoff when we leave (for Dallas).
If that’s not enough there will be a watch party at the Kentucky Theater in Lexington starting at 11 a.m. Saturday. In Louisville, there will be a watch party at Drake’s-St. Matthew’s beginning at 11.
“Lots of people are reaching out to our players and I know they are having a blast,” Fulks said. “Transylvania has done a great job promoting this and I am thankful it is all coming together selling this group of women for all the hard work they have done.”
