NWADG Basketball

2021

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23 2021 NWA COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREVIEW | 11.7.2021 filled with canceled games and eventually an opt out because of COVID-19. They were able to play just nine total games and finished 3-6. "It was very difficult," senior forward Mar'Shalia Lollie said. "But I can say that season brought us together. We had plenty of time to bond through the season. At the end of the day we only had each other. Doing what I love is amazing. I love practice and can't wait for the season to start. I'm super excited. We are getting better." Lollie along with fellow fifth-year seniors Paige Elston and Dachelle Terry, who played at Springdale Har-Ber, will look to lead the way for the Lions, who are picked to finish 14th in the Lone Star Conference preseason media poll. Lollie led the team a year ago in scoring with 14 points and had a team- high 9 rebounds with a steal per game, too. Elston scored 10 points per game and averaged 3 steals per contest. Terry chipped in 8 points per game. "We are excited to coach this senior class and help them end their careers on the right foot," McAdams said. "We are excited to coach Lollie. She is a good one. Paige has stepped in and has set herself apart. Terry has been playing strong on the perimeter. Those are our old hats. They have been playing college basketball long enough to know some of the things that are coming out of my mouth before they even do. They lead by example." With last season getting cut short, it might be natural to put more pressure on yourself if you are a senior and it is your last season. But that isn't the approach Lollie is taking for her last year of eligibility. "Doing something you love you just have to have fun with it," Lollie said. "That's the only way I think about it. We want to go out with a bang. We want to give it our all and leave it all on the court each game. There is no turning back." There is plenty of talent around those seniors, too. Hannah Boyett, just a sophomore, was second on the team in scoring with 14 points with two assists, a steal and a block per game. Ashanti Eden, also a sophomore, also returns as one of the four double-digit scorers from last year. She averaged 11 points with two steals per contest. Leiloni Culley, a junior, will play a big role as well after missing all of last season. She scored seven points per game in 2019-20. Overall, the Lions returns 11 players along with five newcomers, which include a three-year transfer in Bentonville's Shania Wilson, all looking to make an impact as well. "I am excited about the talent that is here," McAdams said. "I purposely didn't watch film on this team coming into this. I wanted a clean slate. It was a fresh look at the entire program. I'm getting texts from opposing coaches with box scores from last year with names highlighted. They were all players coming back that played well. Those things kind of alert me outside our bubble that we got some talent coming back." Although the expectations are not high outside the program, Lollie feels the Lions can make some moves this season in the standings. She loves the talent she sees around her in practice and is ready to see what this team can do. "We've got something to prove this season ," Lollie said. "We want to be the best. We want to try to be first in the conference. We'll take that challenge. We obviously have a lot to prove coming back from nine games." Your Destination for Beautiful floors 5320 W Sunset Avenue Suite 153 Springdale, AR 479-365-7822 www.carpetspluscolortile.com unmatched selection Professional service Product exPertise installation sPecialists Automotive Dealers NWA Name: COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREVIEW - A 1 x 2" Customer Name: TAYLOR AUTO SALES Ad Number: 110721NWR8471g1 2148 N Thompson St. • Springdale, AR 72764 479-717-6200 www.taylorautosalesar.com OUR FRIENDLY AND KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF IS HERE TO HELP YOU FIND THAT PERFECT CAR YOU DESERVE, PRICED TO FIT YOUR BUDGET. Name: COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREVIEW - A 1 x 2" Customer Name: STEVE LAND- ERS TOYOTA OF NWA Ad Number: 110721NWR8471g2 411 South Metro Parkway rogerS, ar 479-845-1444 www.landerstoyotanwa.com Name: COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREVIEW - A 1 x 2" Customer Name: INTEGRITY AUTOMOTIVE Ad Number: 110721NWR8471g3 479-358-1085 103A W. Apple Blossom Ave, Bethel Heights, AR 72764 integrityautomotivenwa.com Veteran Owned and Operated MILITARY DISCOUNT AVAILABLE

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