Ithaca’s George commits to TC3 women’s hoops

Ithaca High School’s Class of 2023 has 17 students who will continue their academic and athletic careers in college. Out of the many athletes who are staying in-state, Tatyanna George will be the closest one to home.

In late May, George committed to Tompkins Cortland Community College to play for the women’s basketball team. While location was a significant factor, what really drew her to the program was the appointment of fellow Ithaca High alum Jocelin Wright as head coach after being the Panthers’ assistant coach since 2021. George felt that she could grow as a player under someone she was more than familiar with.

“When I was in middle school playing JV, she came to one of our practices,” George said. “They were teaching us skills, and I just fell in love with her as a player. When she told me it will be her first year head coaching, I was like, ‘Oh wow, I want to join.’ It was really that decision. I was struggling [with] where to go. I had another school that I maybe wanted to go to, but I wouldn’t be able to play. And then she said, ‘I’ll be the head coach,’ and I was like, ‘Alright, sign me up.’”

George joins a Panthers team that made it back to the postseason for the first time since 2019. But their run only lasted one game, losing to top-seed Fulton-Montgomery Community College in the regional quarterfinals. George will bring many strong qualities of her game to the table in order to help the Panthers make deeper runs in the playoffs.

“As a player, I’m very driven,” George said. “I’m very determined. I’m very versatile. I rebound. I score the ball when needed. I think with my playing style, I can score when I want, and if I need to give the ball to somebody else, I definitely can do that. I’m a great passer. I will bring a very intense energy. I love to win. I’ve played along with some great players who love to win, and that intensity and that grit is built inside of me.”

George will continue to team up with talented players from the area, including some she has played against in high school. The Panthers added a pair of guards from Binghamton: Promise Myers and Meadow Fann. They also have Elmira’s Amarionah Dixon already on the roster, making the Southern Tier Athletic Conference (STAC) well-represented at TC3.

“I think the STAC is pretty strong,” George said. “We do produce a lot of great players… I think these players who are coming from Elmira and Binghamton, they’re super intense. I loved playing against them. They’re really gritty. They’re gonna get down on the floor with you. They’re gonna fight with you. I love that kind of grittiness, and I think playing alongside them is going to be really great and really fun.”

George was on the varsity team since freshman year, so she’s had to play with many new faces each season. This experience has only helped grow her own game and will be a valuable asset with a whole new set of teammates in college.

“I used to play with all the same girls all the time, never had to adjust my playing style to somebody else,” George said. “I think the biggest thing I’ve gained from playing a varsity sport is being able to get direction very fast if they draw the play last minute, being able to execute it, or even being able to adjust even if it doesn’t work out. My entire high school career is being able to adjust and being able to learn quickly and on the spot.”

While George has teamed up with plenty of different players during her time with the Little Red, she’s always had Mia Little by her side on the court. Little will also be playing basketball in junior college at Niagara County Community College, another shining example of Ithaca High’s incredible ability to produce collegiate student-athletes.

“I loved Mia as a teammate,” George said. “I’ve been playing with Mia since I was in sixth grade, so it’s gonna be a little weird if we ever see each other and have to play against each other. But I’m excited for her. I think she’s going to do great over there.”

As George prepares for the quick trip to Dryden to begin her college career, she hopes to make an immediate impact for the Panthers and ultimately deliver the program some postseason triumph.

“I wanted to win a championship for Ithaca, and that never happened,” George said. “I’m going into the Panthers program trying to win something and take it home. As a player for your hometown, you want to bring something back. At the collegiate level, bringing something back to TC3 and even having my name hung up [in the rafters] or in the [record] books, that would be amazing.”