This past prep basketball season in the “Southern Six” turned out to be a big one for the William Carey University women’s basketball team.
And the Lady Crusaders have already gotten a big jump on next season as well.
A trio of female standouts on the Mississippi Gulf Coast that recently wrapped up successful senior seasons has all signed basketball scholarships with head coach Tracy English and the Lady Crusaders hoops squad. Biloxi All-State sensation Shanel Corpuz along with powerful Pass Christian force Daydria Cuevas and Hancock’s talented leader Jeanna Garriga all will be headed to Hattiesburg to continue their hoops careers next season.
In addition, Hancock rising senior standout Brooklyn Cuevas just recently announced her commitment to play at William Carey as well.
Corpuz, the heart and soul of the Lady Indians this past season, averaged almost a double-double per game on the season as she hit at just over 20 points per game as well as pulling down nine rebounds per contest. She also averaged two assists, two steals and a pair of blocks per game. Corpuz and Garriga were selected to play in the prestigious Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Basketball Classic at the University of South Alabama.
Garriga, a 5-foot-11 swing player, unfortunately, missed most of her senior season due to a knee injury. Cuevas, 6-foot-1 forward, was a powerful force on the court for several seasons for the Lady Pirates and led PCHS to several deep postseason runs.
The most recent influx of signees for the Lady Crusaders will bring the total number of players from the “Southern Six” on the William Carey roster to five next season. And when Cuevas finishes her high school career and heads to Hattiesburg that will mark four former Hancock Lady Hawks on the Lady Crusaders at the same time.
In addition to Garriga, who will be a freshman next season, 5-foot-4 guard Mckalea Randall just finished her sophomore season at William Carey and freshman Madelyn Ladner, a 5-foot-10 guard, just finished her first season with the program.
The younger Garriga is the daughter of English’s top assistant on the bench for the Lady Crusaders Jessica (Pucheu) Garriga, who is also a former Hancock High standout.
Garriga just finished her sixth season as the assistant women’s basketball coach at William Carey. A native of the Kiln, she first arrived at William Carey in 2001 as a transfer point guard.
During her freshman year at USM, she experienced an ACL knee injury and transferred to Pearl River Community College for her sophomore year. She played two years as a Crusader under English and earned All-Conference recognition.
Garriga joined the Crusader basketball coaching staff in the fall of 2015 and helped in leading the Lady Crusaders to a top standing finishing second in the SSAC West division for the 20-21 season posting a record of 14-5 (10-4). Garriga has recruited and coached numerous players that have garnered both all-conference accolades.
In 2014, coach Garriga’s #10 jersey was retired at Hancock High School where she holds the school record for most points in a single game (42) and total career points (2,751).
