By Mike McCormick
Herald Staff
A former Dale High School basketball standout is starting for the Seminole State College women’s team that will play in the Region II NJCAA tournament in Shawnee next month.
Hannah Ash, who graduated from Dale High School in May of 2017, is a starter for Rita Story-Schell’s Seminole State College Belles.
Her coach describes her as a “slashing guard.” Ash stands 5-8 and is averaging eight points a contest and 3.4 rebounds.
Story-Schell says Hannah is hitting 75 percent of her free throw attempts and 56 percent of her shots from 3-point range. The coach added, “She doesn’t take bad shots. She has a beautiful jump shot.
On her decision to accept an offer from her coach to attend SSC and play basketball, Ash said, “I love it here. I’m glad I got a chance to keep playing basketball.
As a sophomore she’s been a starter all year for the Belles, and as a freshman a year ago she started some, she said.
“The college level is more demanding, more physical, a lot more running than high school ever was,” Ash believes.
She carries a 4.0 grade point average and was an Academic All-American as a freshman. “We expect her to be again next year,” Story-Schell said.
Ash noted what is probably hardest for her playing college basketball is “traveling and then waking up for class the next morning and engaging in class. Practicing for more than three days in a row is also tough.”
The former Dale standout says in her senior year she average 17-18 points a game.
Ash mentioned, “I like conference play better. It’s more competitive. Every game is a battle.”
Her coach added, “Sophomores are more aware of the expectations.”
Ash said, “I’ve enjoyed my experiences here. It’s been a new experience coming from tiny Dale with a graduating class of 58. It’s small.”
Redlands State College at El Reno and Murray State College in Tishomingo both recruited her to play basketball, too, she said. But a former Dale student Kamy Walck, who attended SSC for two years, along with Kamy’s dad, Dr. Brad Walck, who was a former Belles coach and later an administrator, spoke highly of SSC.
“They both told Rita she needed to come watch me as a junior. I also had never played for a woman coach and I wanted that experience,” Ash stated.
She further pointed out, “It’s different for sure, but in a good way. She (Rita) is much more approachable.
“I ask the team members what do you think will make us better,” the coach said.
“I really like that. We know ourselves what we need to get better at and that mentally prepares us for the day, Ash said.
Story-Schell is in her 19th season as the Belles’ head coach. “There’s always something different going on with Coach,” Ash noted. “You definitely work harder, make the time worth it. High school practices were much longer.”
“We start at 1 and the men come on at 3,” she said.
Ash suffered a mild laceration under her eye in the game at Western State College in Altus on Monday, Jan. 21, but finished the game and was ready to go against NEO on Jan. 24.
“We just let it heal,” Story-Schell said.
Adding more about Ash, Story-Schell said, “She’s been a great asset to the Belles’ basketball program. She represents us in the class, on the court and what we do in community service.”
Through Monday of this week, the Belles stood 14-6 overall and 6-3 in conference.