DAYTON — Janicia Anderson’s basketball career has come “full circle.”

The current Columbus Africentric girls basketball coach played for the Nubians, graduating in 2006 and now has her team one win away from the school’s eighth state title as Africentric will play Doylestown Chippewa in Saturday’s Division IV championship game at UD Arena.

That career path went through the heart of Greene County as Anderson spent three years on the Wilberforce University women’s basketball team, graduating in 2010, earning honorable mention NAIA All-American status as a sophomore.

Nearly 13 years later, that connection still runs deep.

“Man it was everything,” Anderson said after her team beat Wheelersburg, 55-37, in the first semifinal Friday. “Just met a lot of amazing people.”

Anderson and the Lady Nubians took full advantage of that relationship as they visited the campus to get in some pre-game work. And maybe reminisce a little.

“It was so awesome for us to practice there last night,” Anderson said. “It was a full-circle moment.”

Anderson has also taken some time to make sure the WU coaching staff remembers Africentric in order to continue the pipeline between the two schools. Anderson wasn’t alone in making the short move from Columbus to Wilberforce as two of her high school teammates also were recruited by WU.

A case of love at first sight.

“It was a home feeling, it was a home environment,” Anderson said of the vibe she got at WU.

What’s the line from “The Wizard of Oz?”

There’s no place like home.

Contact Scott Halasz at 937-502-4507.