(St. Louis, MO) – Sometimes we miss historical things because we’re so close to them we don’t notice. From my seat as the play-by-play announcer for Missouri St. Louis women’s basketball, that very thing is going on.
Last week, I watched senior Alexis Lawrence tie her own career high with 27 points. She buried seven three-point baskets, giving her 75 this season. Sure, she’s having a good season. The senior guard is the Tritons’ leading scorer and is leading the Great Lakes Valley Conference in 3-pointers.
Alexis Lawrence – umsltritons.com
But Bob Ryan (my broadcast partner) and I are watching history! Those 75 long distance deliveries are third most in any UMSL season. The Bowling Green, Kentucky native will finish this season with the second best total in the all-time history of UMSL basketball.
Lawrence’s seven Saturday bombs moved her past Monica Steinhoff (73 in ’89-’90) and Deena Applebury (74 in ’96-’97) into third on the all-time list. Thursday she will be staring down Laura Satterfield’s 78 (’93-’94) for second best. Satterfield’s 100 (in 1994-’95) appear safe from ‘Long Range Lawrence’.
This is no ‘over night success’ story. Lawrence is one of just two Triton players to ever eclipse the 200 level for career on target bombs. She has 207 and Steinhoff has 247. Lawrence has been the perfect ‘program player.’
Head Coach Katie Vaughn wasn’t sure Lawrence was going to be the player she is today. “From the first day I coached her I knew she had the physical capability to be a good shooter but I questioned her mental ability to do what it takes to be a great player. She quickly proved me wrong. She bought in to the direction we wanted this program to go and to this day has never questioned what or why we do something.”
She averaged five points per game as a freshman, seven as a sophomore, ten as a junior and over 14 this year. All the while, her calling card has been the triple. Meanwhile, Lawrence has been a part of the rotation for Vaughn in her first three years at the Mark Twain Building. Vaughn’s winning percentage (.607) is second best of all UMSL head coaches.
Vaughn says, “Alexis has been one of those players that has developed and adapted to a program in every aspect. She has been wonderful to coach and I would do anything to have an “Alexis Lawrence” on every team.
Hard work has set Lawrence apart. Vaughn says this American sniper is someone that does what it takes to succeed.
“Alexis is a genuine, loyal person which makes her easy to coach and a great teammate. She is also a hardworking, true competitor and wants the best for the team and will do anything on or off the floor to help us achieve that.
“Alexis has developed as a player through long hours of working on her weaknesses and trying to perfect her strengths. Her dedication and ability to not shy away from hard work has taken her game from just a shooter to taking what the defense gives her, whether that be a pull up jumper, layup, or a pass to an open player. She has also developed into one of the best defensive players I have coached.”
Alexis Lawrence will go down as one of the great three-point shooters in UMSL history, but according to Vaughn, that doesn’t tell the important part of the story.
“She has matured not only into a wonderful player but an even better person. Her parents should be very proud and I look forward to keeping up with her future, knowing she will do great things.”
John Edwards (my former broadcast partner), Bob Ryan and I have had the privilege to watch Alexis Lawrence develop and deliver those long range packages, and set a tone for younger players to follow.
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As we near the closing of the portal window, we've reached 1900. Some of them never to play college basketball again, earn a college degree and some to play at a much lower level than they did last season.
I guess we'll be seeing this in a @RacersHoops uniform this year. Glad AJ is staying in the @ValleyHoops.
