An eye-opening year for PSC Women’s Basketball

Eye-opening. Fun. Exciting. Those are the words Head Coach Penny Belford uses to describe this season for a young but determined PSC Women’s Basketball team.

With only three returning players – Katiya Casey, Jaida McDonald (both All-Conference First Team) and Audreonia Benson (All-Conference Second Team) – the team went through tremendous growth while navigating the challenges of playing at the collegiate level.

“Every year is different, but always fun,” said Belford. “When you come to watch us, you’re going to see excitement – especially with how much women’s basketball has taken off and grown. Our biggest thing is how we play – our girls just being scrappy and giving everything they’ve got with every possession and play,” stated Belford.

For many players, the transition from high school to college basketball was a revelation. One word that came up in the post-season meetings was “eye-opening.”

“It’s a huge difference,” Belford explained. “Suddenly, they’re facing top-tier competition – players who look like grown women compared to the high school level. But that challenge also helped them grow.”

And that growth led to remarkable moments, none bigger than when the Pirates were ranked No. 1 in the nation.

“I went in the locker room and got doused with water,” Belford laughed. “We were all slipping around in the water and celebrating.”

The team’s chemistry extended beyond game days. Belford and her coaching staff made sure players bonded through team activities, pairing them up in fun competitions to strengthen their camaraderie.

But one of the most surprising sources of motivation came from an unlikely place – Coach Belford’s six-year-old daughter, Jalaya.

“She’s been around basketball her whole life,” Belford said. “She was in a baby carrier at my practices when she was six weeks old. Now she watches entire games – and even gives pep talks to the team.”

At one game, Jalaya had her own coach-like analysis: “I don’t think they believe, Mommy. They just need to believe. Let me talk to them. Can I go into the locker room to talk to them?” So, Belford let her – and the team listened.

Coach Belford also learned from her “young assistant” to truly get to know the players as humans – like Jalaya noticing the high school State championship team ring around one player’s neck and asking her about it. Jalaya later told her coach mom that maybe they needed to work on doing what that player’s championship team had done the year before.

Even Belford’s three-year-old knows that one of the player’s favorite candy is Laffy Taffy, deciding that that would be her favorite candy now, too.

Through their interactions with Jalaya, players learned they never know who is watching them, what young girls have come to the game and saw them playing, deciding on a favorite player.

Belford said, “Jalaya is that kid. She has personal relationships with all of them, asking them personal questions and getting to know them.”

What makes this season’s journey even more exciting is that so many players will return with a full year of experience under their belt, knowing what to expect, having faced top competition and maturing as players. Next year, they will be the ones helping guide the new group coming in.

That mentorship extends beyond the players. Assistant coaches Ron Robinson and Shynia Jackson serve as big brother and sister figures, fostering strong relationships on and off the court.

“I’m really big on the relationships,” Belford emphasized. “I don’t want it to end when they leave here. I want them to remember Pensacola State, to look back on the fun they had here, the friendships they made – lifelong friends.”

For years, the Pirates were “right there” but just shy of a state tournament appearance. That changed this season.

“The league has evolved so much since I first arrived,” Belford reflected. “Making the state tournament in such a competitive conference is a huge milestone for us.”

In their first-round matchup of the FCSAA Tournament, the Pirates faced #12-ranked Florida Southwestern State, falling 64-42 in a hard-fought battle.

Despite a promising start, PSC struggled to maintain momentum, trailing 28-14 at halftime. The Buccaneers’ defense proved tough, widening the gap to 50-28 by the third quarter. The Pirates closed strong, scoring six of the final eight points, but couldn’t overcome the deficit.

Audreonia Benson led the Pirates off the bench with 14 points, while Jaida McDonald contributed 13 points and six rebounds.

The Pirates wrapped up their season at 19-12—a record that reflects their growth and resilience.

PSC Athletic Director Bryan Lewallyn commended the team’s perseverance in such a tough conference. “It’s incredible to see all their hard work on and off the court pay off,” he said. “Beating teams like Northwest Florida – ranked #1 in the country – and making it to the state tournament for the first time in years, those moments are huge. It’s amazing to see them experience those moments of ‘We did it – we got over that hump of the growth as a younger team, we were able to make it to the State tournament.’”

With a solid foundation, returning talent and a growing belief in themselves, the future looks bright for PSC Women’s Basketball.

And if there’s one lesson to carry into the next season, it might just be the words of their youngest motivator, six-year-old Jalaya: “Just believe.”