— Justin McGill/Tribune Courier

Holder signs with Lady Racers

By Justin McGill
Tribune-Courier Managing Editor
jmcgill@tribunecourier.com

DRAFFENVILLE – Marshall County High School senior Jessica Holder was one of seven girls to sign Wednesday to play basketball at Murray State University.

“Jessica is an extremely versatile athlete,” MSU head coach Rob Cross said in a statement released Wednesday by MSU. “She can excel at this level with her back to the basket and can step out to shoot the three or penetrate to the basket. She is also an outstanding rebounder with a very good feel for the game. Having played for one of the all-time great coaches, in Howard Beth, she will come in and with an understanding of what it takes to be successful.”

Holder said the proximity of MSU to her home and her relationship with first-year head coach Cross, a long-time Lady Racer assistant, made her decision an easy one.

“I’ve known Coach Cross since I was in sixth grade,” Holder said. “I really like him a lot, and I was really excited when he was named head coach. There were other schools talking to me but none that I was really interested in.”

Holder, a 6-2 foward named all-state as a sophomore and junior, averaged 24.7 points and 11 rebounds per game for the Lady Marshals last season, shooting 60 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range.

“Overall, she’s very good; she’ll just have to make the adjustment to college,” MCHS head coach Howard Beth said. “She’ll have to learn to play outside more, which means guarding someone on the outside. She won’t learn that much here because we need to keep her inside as much as we can, so she’ll have to do that after she leaves here. We’ll work with her on footwork and other things, but a lot of it she’ll have to learn when she gets down there.”

Beth said he expects Holder to display her Division I abilities against the Lady Marshals’ tougher opponents in 2008-09.

“We’ve got a real good, hard schedule,” Beth said. “I want to see her perform against some of the harder teams the way she has in the past against some of the weaker teams. That should be a goal for her this year.”

Beth said Holder has the potential to become a starter as a freshman at MSU.

“She’ll definitely see some playing time, but it all depends on how quickly she makes the adjustment,” Beth said. “On offense, she’ll be fine. Defensively, as far as aggression and the physicality of the game, she’s got to make some adjustments. She has a chance to start and be an impact player in her first year.”

Holder said her experience playing for Beth at MCHS can only help her chances at the college level.
“It’s always good to have a coach that’s not always easy on you,” Holder said.

Holder is not the only 1st Region standout to join the Lady Racers. Calloway County senior Kayla Cunningham will also don the blue and gold as an MSU freshman next year.