Columbia Academy senior Lauren Rowley became the second Lady Cougar to ink a college scholarship this season after signing with William Carey University Tuesday afternoon.
Rowley said it means everything to her to continue her playing career after starring for the Lady Cougars for several years.
“My dad and mom have always supported me and I didn’t know if I wanted to, but after this season ended the way it did I just knew it was something I wanted to do,” she said. “I’m glad I get to at William Carey.”
The Lady Cougars lost the MAIS AAA championship to Leake Academy 44-41 in double overtime after a controversial call that MAIS officials admitted they got wrong sent the game to overtime. Rowley said she hopes playing in college will help get the bad taste out of her mouth that the end of her CA career left her with. She added the MAIS All-Star Game helped a little bit, but it was also the moment she realized she belongs at the next level.
“Whenever we finished, I got the MVP and all the coaches started talking to me,” she said of when she felt like a collegiate career was a real possibility.
Rowley said she chose William Carey over offers from Mississippi College, Millsaps and Belhaven because of the coaches, environment and proximity to home.
Rowley said there were a number of people she is thankful for that helped her get to this point.
“Coach Watts, coach Reid (McCay, who coached her seventh through ninth grade) and my parents, especially,” she said. “Coach Reid was the one who always said I would be a great player, and coach Watts is the one who pushed me to try to go to the next level. My parents have always supported me with every decision. Even if I didn’t want to play at the next level, they still would have supported me.”
Watts said words couldn’t describe how proud he is of Rowley and that he always knew that she could play collegiately but the question was getting a school to step up and sign her.
Rowley had a monster senior season and averaged 17.8 points, 7.2 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game. Her ability to function both within a structured offense and when things break down is what will allow her to flourish at the next level, according to Watts.
“Lauren can create her own shot. For our team a lot of times, we created it with screens or structure, but Lauren is capable of creating her own shot,” he said. “At the next level, you have to be able to do that, especially at the guard position. That’s the one thing that will help her. She can score off the dribble, she can come off the down screen and score and she can spot and shoot a three. I think she has the total package.”
The Lady Crusaders went 10-15 in 2018-19 and were eliminated in the first round of the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament by Florida College.
Fellow Lady Cougar Morgan Jones signed with Southern Miss before the season.
Pictured Above: CA senior Lauren Rowley signed with William Carey Tuesday in front of family and friends. She was joined by, front row, her mom, Charla, and dad, Gerald; back row, William Carey head coach Tracy English, her sister, Peyton, brother, Evan, sister, Megan, WCU assistant coach Jessica Garriga and CA head coach Dale Watts. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
