The 2003 Sand Rock graduate and Gadsden State Community College sophomore center recently signed a basketball scholarship with Shorter College in Rome (GA).
Amanda leaned towards accepting Shorter’s offer throughout last season before finally deciding to join the Lady Hawks program.
“A few colleges contacted me after I had a good [NJCCA] tournament, but Shorter offered the best academically and I wanted to stay close to home, so I verbally committed about two weeks after the season. I’m really excited about going to Shorter. I’ll have a good opportunity to play, I like the girls on the team and I like the head coach. We play Gadsden State for our first scrimmage, so that will interesting to play against my former teammates.”
Shorter last season posted a 14-16 record in the program’s first Southern States Athletic Conference season.
Although she only started five of the Lady Cardinals’ 29 games in 2004-05, Amanda averaged 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field (77-for-155), 37 percent from three-point range (16-for-43) and 65 percent from the free throw line (32-for-49).
Amanda helped GSCC win its second straight Alabama Community College Conference title and earn a consecutive trip to the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament.
In Gadsden State’s three national tournament games in Salinas, KS, Amanda was Gadsden State’s leading scorer with 42 points while grabbing 16 rebounds.
The Lady Cardinals wound up finishing ninth in the final NJCAA poll with a 25-7 record.
“I’m happy with how my [GSCC] career turned out,” said Amanda. “I think that I did my job, and although you only have two years to be teammates, I grew close to all the girls and I’m really going to miss them.”
As a Sand Rock senior, Amanda averaged 19.2 points and 11.2 rebounds while leading the Lady Wildcats to a berth in the Northeast Regional championship game.
She was named to the 2002 and 2003 Class 2A All-State teams, the 2003 Chero-kee County Co-MVP and was a four-time All-Area and All-County selection.
Amanda was also an All-State, All-Area and County MVP hitter in volleyball and played a year of softball.
GSCC head coach Kim Nails appreciated Amanda’s contributions over the past 24 months.
“The Lord has really blessed us with great kids in our program like Amanda. She’s worked very hard in the classroom and on the floor. Amanda’s leadership and work habits are examples of what has led us to the national tournament the last two years. She’s been a delight to coach for the last two years.
“Amanda was a tremendous leader for us whether on the practice floor, the game floor or on the bench with the other players. She’s been so instrumental in our two playoff runs. I can’t believe that I won’t see Amanda’s smile and her leadership around anymore in Beck Field House. Amanda will forever be special to us. I’m thrilled to see Amanda continue her career at Shorter, and I know that she’ll bring to them exactly what she brought to us.”
Shorter head coach Vic Mitchell is lookng forward to seeing Amanda in a Lady Hawks uniform.
"I've had my eye on Amanda since she was in high school, and I continued to watch her progress at Gadsden State. She's an accomplished player who is also a very hard worker. Whatever needs to be done on the basketball court, she is willing to do, whether it is scoring, rebounding or diving for loose balls. We've had a good recruting class this year, and with the addition of Amanda, I'm comfortable with what we have at the post position. Amanda's a very good student and a very good kid, and we're just thrilled to have her at Shorter for the next few years."
Amanda, who graduated fourth in her high school class with a 98.0 GPA and was a 2003 Bryant/Jordan Class 2A Scholarship Achievement Award winner, already has her career goals in order.
“I’m taking summer classes at Gadsden State, and I’m majoring in biology at Shorter. After that, I want to enroll the physical therapy department at UAB. [UAB] only offers a doctorate in that field, so it looks like I’ll be in school for five years.
Post a Comment