HIGH-SCHOOL

2 sets of twins powering Ribault's run to girls basketball state semifinals

Tierra and Sierra Shepherd, Whitney and Brittney Neavins have Trojans in Class 4A final four

Justin Barney
Will.Dickey@jacksonville.com Ribault's Whitney Neavins (left) and Brittney Neavins let their emotions out in last year's Class 3A regional final loss. The twins are key elements in Ribault's run this year.

Ribault girls basketball coach Sheila Seymore-Pennick had enough to worry about when there was just one set of fraternal twins in the Trojans' lineup.

So when Ribault added another set of twins to its roster before the start of the 2011 season, it was just one more complexity to the Trojans' game plan. It had the potential to create much more confusion so Seymore-Pennick did what she had to do.

She resorted to name-calling.

"I nicknamed them," said Seymore-Pennick, whose 28-2 Trojans face Orlando Jones (26-4) at 6 tonight in the Class 4A state semifinals in Lakeland.

"When you have twins, it's very typical for people to just call twins, twins. I had to give them nicknames because I can get confused."

Senior guards Whitney and Brittney Neavins, and the 2011 newcomers who sparked the increase of nicknames, sophomores Tierra and Sierra Shepherd, are so close in stature, production, name pronunciation and skill level that Seymore-Pennick had to do something to sort the players out.

The twins are separated from each other by two minutes in time (Whitney and Sierra were each born first) and one inch (at 5-3, Tierra barely edges her sibling). Both of the Neavins are 5-7.

"We kind of look alike, but not much," Brittney said. "It is kind of hard for some people to [pick us apart]."

Ribault is the most storied girls basketball program in state history, with its nine titles and 16 state semifinal appearances both records. But the Trojans have gone an un-Ribault-like nine years since last winning a state championship in 2003. Should the Trojans snap that streak this week, it will likely be because of the exploits of one of the siblings in the Ribault lineup.

On the stat sheet, little distinguishes the players from each other.

Tierra Shepherd is second on the team in scoring (12 PPG) behind Sherranda Reddick (17.7 ppg). Not far behind are Brittney Neavins (8.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg), Sierra Shepherd and Whitney Neavins (6.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg). On any given night, any of those players are capable of leading the Trojans.

"We're making history, this is the first two sets of twins that started at Ribault and made it [to the semifinals]," said Tierra, whose nickname is "TT."

"We just have fun. We love the game. We go out and do our best. If we win, we win, if we lose, we lose, but we get right back up and do it again."

One look at the Trojans on the court and it's obvious that the players have a connection. Their passes are well-timed; there's flair in what they do and there's a flow in the game that just doesn't happen on accident. Some of it is simply because the players are related, but most of it comes because the four siblings have played sports together and known each other for years.

Justin Barney: (904) 359-4248