AVON — Riverside High School junior Makiya Meads, the Planters Bank Player of the Week, is always willing to step in and help her teammates.
“Makiya is a strong minded person and does whatever I ask her to do,” Riverside first-year coach Daneshea Davis said. “She can play any position on the floor. If she sees one of her teammates is struggling she will step up to the plate to help out.”
Meads, who is averaging 20 points per game, continued her strong season last Thursday night in the Lady Bulldogs’ 54-44 victory over Humphreys County. Meads scored 19 points in the victory and also played a key role in many defensive stops in the fourth quarter.
Thursday’s Riverside victory was the fifth win of the season for the Lady Bulldogs, who failed to win a game all last season.
“These kids are determined and they are doing what it takes to become better,” Coach Davis said. “They are motivated to win the district title. They are putting in the extra effort. They are staying late after practice and are coming in even when we didn’t have practice scheduled.”
Along with Meads, guards Allanah Turner and Qu’Niya Jackson are two other Lady Bulldogs who have stepped up their play this season, said their coach. Turner and Jackson rotate between the point guard and shooting guard positions.
Coach Davis is a 2003 graduate of Leland High School where she learned the game from Coach Eugene Sanders. After college at Mississippi Delta Community College, Davis had a number of jobs while raising her three children.
“It was my dream to be a basketball coach,” Coach Davis said.
