GC women’s basketball has started their season off strong after a greatly improved season last year. So far this season, the Bobcats are 5-2, winning five straight games. One player in particular that has stood out for GC so far this season is freshman Hannah Cail, who, despite being in her debut college season, has demonstrated remarkable poise and skill on both ends of the court.
“While Hannah is still learning and has room to improve this season and during her time in college, she hasn’t played like a freshman,” said head coach Ross Jolly. “She’s playing with confidence and consistency on both ends of the court while not making as many mistakes that you would see the majority of freshmen make.”
Cail made her first appearance for the Bobcats in GC’s exhibition game against Georgia Tech on Nov. 2. While GC came up short to the Yellow Jackets, Cail proved her spot in the lineup after scoring a team-high 17 points for the Bobcats.
Since then, Cail has been able to stay consistent within the first month of season play. She has played all seven games for the Bobcats, scoring an average of 14.4 points per game. Cail has been a huge impact offensively for the Bobcats, as she has already scored 101 points this season. This is the most points scored for the Bobcats, followed by junior Ashyia Willis with 61.
“Hannah has come in and immediately provided scoring for our team,” Jolly said. “She’s very talented, but she has worked extremely hard to make herself into a good basketball player. She has shot the ball very well while also being consistent from game to game.”
After strong performances against Fort Valley State and Newberry, Cail received her first Zaxby’s Player of the Week recognition for the week of Nov. 26. Over these two games Cail, averaged 18 points and 2.5 rebounds for the Bobcats.
She had her strongest performance of the season against Fort Valley State, as she scored a record-high 22 points in that game. She helped GC come back from an 18-point deficit after sinking six three-pointers in that game alone. Cail was also able to score 14 points against Newberry.
“I played with and against Hannah since we were in middle school, since she has always played up a level or two,” said Amelia Wylly, a junior forward. “She has definitely adapted well to college-style play, but I would credit that to her ability of catching onto a higher level of play very quickly.”
Playing at the college level can be hard to accomplish. A lot of time and commitment goes into reaching this amount of success at this level, especially as a freshman.
“A lot of time went into reaching this level,” Cail said. “Year-round skill work, conditioning, and weight room training. I’ve had the best coaches along the way, who have helped me to work and develop my game and myself to reach this level.”
As the GC women’s basketball team aims for a deeper playoff run this season, fueled by the addition of talents like Cail, the collective goal is to make a significant impact in conference play starting on January 3.
“I just want to bring everything I can to the team that can help us win,” Cail said. “Being a great teammate and playing at a high level all season. I think making a deep playoff run and potentially winning the conference would be a goal that all of us have.”
Cail and the rest of the GC women’s basketball team are back in action Dec. 7 at 10:30 a.m. against Tampa.
