Following two successful years on the hardwood for the Lady Bears, Southwest women's basketball guard Mookie Lampley gets the chance to continue her academics and playing career at the next level after signing with Blue Mountain College.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity and I just want to get better as a player," said Lampley, a native of Wayne County. "I'm going into a new program that is probably way different from the last. I just want to be able to adjust and be a better player."
Lampley chose to sign with the Toppers over offers from Mississippi University for Women and Belhaven, among others.
She adds that after speaking with the coach, Lampley came away with a feeling of comfort and that was a big contributing factor in her decision.
"Being in college and being away from home, she (Blue Mountain head coach Tracy Rice) expressed that it is like family there, it is like a family away from home and that is what I wanted out of a school," she said.
Looking back on her time in Summit, Lampley – who redshirted and missed a year on the court due to injury – said that she really benefited from her time at Southwest.
"I got a lot of character and player development there, I grew a lot both on and off the court," she said. "With my injury, having to basically re-start from zero and having to rehab, it was something that I didn't expect that I would ever experience but it made me into a better person and player. (Southwest head coach Brent Harris), he is a good person and this last year, we were closer than my previous two years. It was a good year to end on."
Lampley started 27 of 28 games last season, averaging 9.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
Coach Harris said that Lampley is a player that checked multiple boxes.
"She is great with the ball and can score on all three levels," he said. "She takes charges, is a willing defender and her basketball IQ is extremely high. She has helped us in some big moments and we have been very successful with her on the floor."
He also gave her high praise for her ability to get over her leg injury that caused her to miss the season, two years ago.
"That was a big shock to all of us," he said. "She loves basketball and it was hard for her to sit out and I remember the day she threw the brace away. She turned the page and had no issues in year three. I'm proud of our training staff and proud of her for following through and getting through that."
