mbrown@sunmulti.com
Six years after graduating from Perry High School (Class of
2007), 23-year-old Ashley West is the face of women’s basketball for Middle
Georgia Technical College in what is her sophomore season of intercollegiate
competition.
On Friday, West logged all 40 minutes of the Lady Titans’
61-60 GCAA home loss to West Georgia Technical College. She shot 50 percent
from the floor (7-for-14) and struggled from the free-throw line going
7-for-13, all giving her a team-high 21 points. {{more}}
“Kind of whipped, but not really,” said West about how she
felt after the game. “I’m kind of used to it now. I was exhausted, but I had to
push through it, fight for my team.”
The Lady Titans only had eight players in uniform, a number
that went to seven, and then six due to teammates fouling out.
“She is the face of this program,” said head coach Lawanda
Brown. “I wish I had more players like Ashley West. She is going to play with
heart, determination the entire game. I wish I got to keep her, but
unfortunately I can’t.”
This is West’s second season with the Middle Georgia Tech
women’s team. When the program played in a technical college association last
year, West was that conference’s player of the year as a 22-year-old freshman.
So why is she starting college basketball at a time when a majority of other
student-athletes are finishing?
West said she moved to Smyrna after graduating from Perry
High, but she enrolled at Middle Georgia Tech upon returning. She didn’t know
at the time that the school had a team. When someone told her about it and
encouraged her to try out, West said she looked into it, talked to the right
people and became a Lady Titan.
“I had too much time on my hands,” said West. “I like to
stay active. So when I heard that a spot was open, I went for it.
“I thought I was going to be rusty, but I got back in the
groove faster than I thought.”
West knew also this would be serious basketball and not some
intramural-type program. Right away, she became a team leader, a role she
relished just as quickly.
“I try to motivate my team,” said West. “Push them harder.
Make them go 100 percent.
“I learn new stuff every day. I have to remind myself to be
fundamental, to stay in the game, and learn that my teammates need someone to
motivate them.”
“She takes that role on automatically,” said Brown. “When no
one else will step up, I know Ashley will.”
Those teammates are essentially a bunch of 18 and 19 year
olds, and she said they have no problem reminding her that she’s the ‘old lady’
of the bunch.
“If I’m running slow in a game or at practice, my coach
always says we’re getting old out there,” said West. “’Step it up. Getting too
old on me.’”
West already owns a degree in business administration from
Middle Georgia Technical, and currently she is in the early childhood education
program. She said her goal is to open her own day care center or work in some
way with children.
With the career she has had as a Lady Titan, one would
wonder if any four-year college team is recruiting her to transfer and use her
two remaining years of playing eligibility.
“For her, it doesn’t matter about age,” said Brown. “She has
the heart. She wants to play. It’s just a matter of having the opportunity to
play.”
“I’m not sure if I want to go to that next level,” said
West, who said that she has received some interest. She understands what it
would mean to go to a new school and commit the time to two more seasons,
especially since she is also working.
“I would say by March (I want to make a decision one way or
the other). I want people to be in the know. That may be too late for some
coaches, but maybe I’ll have a decision by March.”
Initially as a Lady Titan, West said she wasn’t satisfied
with the way things were going in her own play. Eventually, she began playing
like her old Lady Panther days, and she is aiming for another player of the
year honor.
• Against West Georgia Technical out of Carrollton, Ashleigh
Burnett of Thomson had five 3-pointers in scoring 17 points. Maya Gadson of
Peach County also scored from 3, but with two press turnovers the Lady Titans
found themselves down by five early.
That’s when Burnett found her range with two 3s in a row,
one coming off a steal by Kameelah Wynn. Wynn took the basketball inside for a
power score, and with some hard dribble penetration by West MGTC led 13-10.
As Burnett hit her third 3-pointer, West scored three the
old fashioned way going inside for a five-footer off the glass. The Lady Titans
went up by five, 21-16, with a takeaway and pass from Wynn to Washington-Wilkes
High School’s Tynisha Walton.
Momentum turned often in this contest, and West Georgia
Technical point guard Nicole Marshall scored five in row to cap a 7-0 run. The
Lady Golden Knights led by as much as three until the home team tied it at 3:12
until halftime. Shanequa Hudson blocked a second-shot attempt, and Gadson ran
the floor to stick a go-ahead jumper (29-28).
In the final minute, West Georgia Tech did not get its next
offensive rebound blocked. It was instead a three-point play for the lead, but
West received a kind bounce on her shot. With a takeaway field goal, the Perry
native closed out the half with four in a row and 34-31 Lady Titan advantage.
Middle Georgia Tech led as much as six in the second half.
The Lady Knights pulled to within one and used its press, but West found
Burnett for a spot-up 3. West later cashed in an assist from Walton and Wynn
put back two to match similar production from the visiting team.
Hudson was lost to fouls three minutes into the half, and
not even a second 3-pointer by Burnett could put away West Georgia Tech. When
it was 49-48, Marshall missed a lay-up from a steal and spin move. Foul
shooting kept the visiting club in contention, even though it missed four in a
row at one stretch.
West followed Burnett’s block with points off the glass (52-49
with 5:40 remaining). Burnett, though, fouled out with five minutes on the
clock, and the Lady Knights put back a foul-line miss to lead 53-52.
Walton regained the advantage from a set play assist by
Sanquela Gresham. At a 55-55 tie, WGT missed a shot from a takeaway, but ran
the floor from a second steal, and Marshall converted two foul shots. With a
third straight turnover, the Lady Knights went inside to extend the margin to
four, 59-55.
The Lady Titans never led again, though West scored at the
2:04 mark and Wynn and Walton grabbed key rebounds. In the final 40 seconds,
West caught a pass in traffic, drew a blocking foul, but could only make the
front end of the one-and-one.
That tied the game 59-59, and West Georgia Tech had 21
seconds to look for the win. The winner went through with 10 seconds to play.
Gresham drew a foul at 2.2 seconds, but only made one.
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