NATCHEZ — At 5-4 on the season the Copiah-Lincoln Community College women’s basketball team has a little bit to work on, according to sophomore guard Ashley Minor.

Minor, a Natchez High School alumna, said she’s seen a big increase in playing time this season. She only heads to the bench once or twice a game, she said, and it’s a role she’s happy to play.

“We have so many freshmen who aren’t used to the game, so as a sophomore, I have to step up and be on the court as much as possible,” Minor said.

Though she was used to playing a lot of minutes in high school, Minor said she didn’t see as much action as a freshman last year. Playing more hasn’t been a difficult adjustment, Minor said, even with last year’s lighter load.

“I’m getting back used to it,” Minor said. “When I was in high school, I stayed in the game all the time. My freshman year was a big difference, but now I’m doing what I’m used to.”

As a leader, Minor said she tries her best to show the younger players the importance of giving it your all every time you play.

“I speak up at times, but mostly I try to lead by example,” she said. “A lot of freshmen tell me they look up to me, so every time I go, I try to go hard and go the way coach (Gwyn Young) wants us to.”

Minor said her shooting and defense have seen a lot of improvement from her freshman year through now.

“We shoot a lot, and my shot is a lot better than it’s ever been because we shoot so much,” Minor said. “My defense has also stepped up a lot.”

Heading into the Christmas break, Co-Lin has lost its first two conference games, something the Lady Wolves aren’t used to.

“Last year we lost four games altogether and only one conference game, so 5-4 for Co-Lin isn’t normal,” Minor said. “But Coach Young tells us all the time that we have to keep working. Everyone knows he’s a winning coach, so when we lose, it’s a shock.”

The Lady Wolves don’t play again until Jan. 7 against Baton Rouge Community College, and Minor said the long layoff could be a problem.

“It affects us a lot,” Minor said. “Hopefully everyone is working over the break and not eating too much. If we work out now, we can pick up where we left off (when we get back) instead of having to start over. But we’ll go back a week early, and two-a-days will get us right.”

One of Minor’s teammates is freshman point guard Keyana Miller, a former teammate of Minor’s at NHS. Minor said she’s been impressed with how well Miller has adjusted to the junior college level.

“She’s been starting at point guard ever since the second game, and since I’ve played with her before, I know her game, so it’s easy to play with her,” Minor said. “She’s also my roommate, and we were very close in high school. It’s great to have her in college. We’re the only ones with teammates from the same high school.”

Minor said she’s been to two NHS girls basketball games this season, including Friday’s matchup against Pearl River Central.

“They all work really well,” Minor said of the undefeated Lady Bulldogs. “Coach (Alphaka) Moore is doing really good, and (assistant coach) Alia Frank knows a lot about basketball. They play really good defense and have a good team overall.”

Minor is the daughter of Auguree Minor and the late Leonard Hooker.