Q&A: Lelani Gordon, Riverview Girls Basketball Coach

The Riverview High girls basketball team lost only three times last season by a total of five points, none more heartbreaking than a 45-43 defeat to Winter Haven in the region final.

Patch talked with coach Lelani Gordon to find out where her team is seven months later and what her team's goals for this season are.

Patch: As a coach, how do you turn the experience of a difficult loss like that Region Final into something the girls can learn from?

Gordon: Truthfully, we are such a different team from the one that played that game because we only have three players returning. We haven't talked much about that game, and for the few players that returned it just serves to motivate them more to get there again. They know how close they were.

Patch: After losing a significant amount of players in the offseason, how did you go about rebuilding your squad?

Gordon: We're in the process of getting it together right now. We were a young team last year and we are again. We still don't have a senior on this team and we may carry as many as four freshman. Luckily we returned a great base in first team all-state player Faith Woodard, Monet Williams, who is the best point guard around in my opinion, and Madison Greany, who was one of the best freshmen in the county last year. We may not be deep but we're still going to be good.

Patch: One of the players you were able to acquire was Tesha Hanson from Seffner Christian. What do you feel she can bring to your team this season?

Gordon: She led the county in scoring last year and was first-team all-state, so we're excited to have her on board because of what she can produce for us. So while it's bad we lost some players to transfers and injuries, we return a good group and we got in some good players.

Patch: With a small roster like you have now, how important is it for the few returning players you have to step up into a leadership role?

Gordon: That is really where we're at right now. We're developing leadership and waiting to see who emerges as a captain-type figure. That's the thing about leadership, you can't teach it, it just emerges. We have experienced players but they've never been asked to lead. So we'll see what happens as the season progresses.

Patch: Given the losses you've sustained and all that your team is going through trying to come together, have your expectations for the team changed at all, and what is your goal for the season?

Gordon: My expectations haven't changed regardless of all that has going on. We are still a good team, it's just that we can't afford mishaps along the way because we don't have the depth. I still want to make it to the region final, but this time I want to win it.