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by John Heglie Special For Leader
| November 8, 2018 10:31 AM

SKC women’s basketball is already well into their season with several early-schedule games having taken place. The Lady Bison have won seven AIHEC championships, most recently two years ago to add icing to the cake of the 2016-17 season.

With that kind of past success, some version of the expression similar to “seven might be heaven, but eight would be great” will likely be incorporated into the motto for the new season.

Head coach Silas Perez enters his second season at the helm after serving about a dozen years as assistant coach, taking over the reins from Juan Perez, who now contributes in the capacity of an assistant coach with current responsibilities coaching the Polson Lady Pirates high school team. Silas Perez has been part of five of the seven AIHEC championship teams.

This is the second season that SKC has added NAIA squads to their schedule. At this juncture of the season, the non-scholarship players like those among the roster of the Lady Bison are a “work in progress” as they adapt to the level of competition exhibited by scholarship recruited athletes that comprise teams among the NAIA conferences they have faced thus far.

Acknowledging that the squad has taken their share of early-schedule lumps, Perez is nevertheless impressed with the work ethic of his players both on and off the court, the latter reflected by the commitment of his players to community involvement like helping co-coach a recently held Special Olympic Clinic with 30-some athletes, participation in the reading program at the local Pablo Elementary with a view toward some level of involvement in other endeavors with local youth clubs in the area.

The Lady Bison will be on the road this weekend as they travel to Multnomah Bible College and Walla Walla University. The following weekend they will host Founder’s Week, where they will face visiting Stone Child College.

The 2018-19 rendition of the Lady Bison have a trio of returnees. Several players among the roster have local affiliations, while others have carved their niche into the local tapestry of area:

Ashley Tryon (Charlo, class of 2016), TF 2016 Western C Divisional: disc 7th 91-02 (102-08pr), sp 12th 27-0/2015div: disc 8th 87-11

Ione Chimburas (Lapwai, Idaho), part of Idaho state championship teams with Taylor Whitney, part of 2018 Flathead Lake 3-on-3 women’s division winner Legends with Malia Hamel, Lee Camel and Lauren Lefthand

Nina Orozco-Charlo (Ronan/Polson/Two Eagle River), all-conference (hm 2009-10) guard with Polson

Gabrielle Houle (Ronan, class of 2018), played three seasons of Maiden basketball

Braylee Stone, 2018-17 2x AIHEC All-Tournament,

Verlina Whiteman, played on 2017 AIHEC team