Murray State University Athletics
Future Racers Improve Basketball Skills in Final Prep Season
4/16/2009 2:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
“I am proud of the effort that our future Racer's put into their high school careers,” said Cross. “These young ladies not only strongly represented their hometown teams, but also showed that they understand what it means to be a Racer. They are fantastic young women who excel off the court as well as on.”
Aubrey Minix, a 5'5”guard from Grovertown, Ind., (Oregon Davis) went into her senior season chasing the Indiana State (boys or girls) three-point record. The pressure of chasing the record was something that she was feeling, but was finally broken Jan. 29 when she hit her 320th shot from beyond the arc, surpassing the record set by former Tennessee standout Shanna Zolman in 2002 (319).
With the pressure off, Minix had an impressive game in the Bi-County Championship victory over LaVille. She broke her own school record by going 11-of-15 (73%) from beyond the arc on her way to tying the Oregon Davis school record with 41 points. Minix then chased and claimed the Oregon Davis All-Time Scoring title, for boys or girls, when she finished her career with 1,608 points. The four-time all-conference and all-area honoree also claimed Oregon Davis records for 3-pointers made (363) and 3-pointers in a season (117). The Indiana Coaches Association All-State honoree's accomplishments have not escaped national attention, as she became a McDonald's All-American nominee. While a prep she helped Oregon Davis to an 86-14 record, averaging 21.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. Her accomplishments were not limited to the basketball court, as she was recently named the senior class valedictorian.
Two local area standouts also had great senior seasons and climbed their high school scoring charts. Kayla Cunningham, a 6'2” forward from Murray, Ky., (Calloway County) had a strong senior season, becoming the all-time leading scorer at Calloway County (boys or girls) with 2,059 points. The mark passed Stan Key who left the Lakers and became a standout at the University of Kentucky. Cunningham, a Kentucky All-State honoree, averaged 17.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 76 percent from the free-throw line.
Jessica Holder, a 6'1” forward from Benton, Ky., (Marshall County) has been a consistent standout since her freshman campaign and ended her career with a school record (boys or girls) of 2,378 points. The four-time All-Purchase Team selection also set a Marshall County record for career free throws made (573). As a post player, she is also a threat from three-point range, making 37.9 percent (107-of-282) of her shots. She was also a key defensive threat, recording 313 career blocks, 1,230 rebounds, and 152 steals. For her efforts in her final season as a prep, Holder earned KABC Region I Player of the Year, Kentucky All-State, Region I All-Tournament Team and MVP, and 4th District All-Tournament Team honors.
National recognition has been part of another Racer recruits. Candance Nevels, a 5'9” guard from Bolingboork, Ill., (Bolingbrook) was a key factor in the success of her team this past season, helping the team to Class 4A Illinois State Championship. Bolingbrook finished the season 24-4 and ranked No. 3 in the national polls according to ESPN.com. For her efforts, Nevels was named the co-team MVP and ranked as the No. 74 shooting guard in the nation by ESPN.com. Nevels was labled as a “fierce defender who embodies the ideals of attacking the opposition” by ESPN.
Defeating teams ranked in the top-25 was a part of another senior's season. Tessa Elkins, a 5'6” point guard from Hamilton, Ohio, (Lakota West) and the rest of the LaKota West team earned a victory over No. 24 University Heights (N.J.) in the Classic in the Country showcase. The FireBird's had a strong season, advancing to the Ohio State Final Four for the second-straight season, after earning their third GMC Championship, fourth district title, and second regional championship. In her final season Lakota West ended the year with a 24-3 record, including an undefeated conference season. Elkins ended her prep career with a 92-13 record and was named a GMC and Butler Co. All-City First Team, All-Southwestern Ohio Team, Ohio vs. Kentucky All-Star, FireBird Award winner, and District 15 Senior All-Star in her senior campaign.
Elkins is another recruit who is no stranger to her schools leader boards. She is one of two FireBirds, past or present, which has her name on five career top-10 lists at LaKota West. She finished her career ranked seventh in scoring (681), sixth in steals (163), second in assists (201), eighth in rebounds (292), and seventh in blocks (28) as a guard.
Like 2008-09 senior Ashley Hayes, Mariah Robinson, a 5'7” guard from Hartford, Ky., (Ohio County) was busy scoring this season. The Ohio County High School standout even got close to scoring the same number of points as Hayes in a game when she recorded 40 points against Owensboro Catholic. The Region 3 back-to-back Player of the Year and Kentucky All-State team honoree averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 rebounds this season. The Sweet-16 All-Tournament Team selection for the past two seasons ended her senior campaign shooting 51.5 percent from the field, 38.1 percent from three-point range, and 75.4 percent from the charity stripe. Robinson also added 187 assists, 165 steals, and 21 blocks.
Jessica Winfrey, a 5'11” guard/forward from Marion, Ark., (Marion) has been busy this season racking up honors. She was named to the LR Mills Invitational and Yellowjacket Invitational All-Tournament teams as well as the 6A All-Arkansas Team. Winfrey averaged 12 points, seven rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game for Marion High in her final season. Her eye-popping athleticism and intensity led her to be ranked No. 31 in the nation at her position by ESPN.com.
“I am looking forward to the arrival of these young women in Murray,” Cross added. “Then we will truly be able to tell what they will provide to our program. I am expecting that those contributions will be significant, both on and off the court.”
