Terrell is playing like All-American for Lions
Berks Catholic grad is putting up impressive numbers for unbeaten, nationally ranked Albright
Janice Luck knew she had something special when Dejah Terrell decided to enroll at Albright a little more than a year ago.
Luck, the Lions coach, had seen Terrell play at Berks Catholic and had watched her lead the Saints to the PIAA Class 4A basketball championship game two years ago.
Luck knew Terrell had tremendous talent, uncommon competitiveness and unlimited potential. Luck thought she could be a Division III AllAmerican, and now she’s playing like one.
A 6-1 sophomore, Terrell has averaged 28.3 points, 14.0 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in the last four games for 10th-ranked Albright (6-0, 15-0), including an 83-72 win over Widener Wednesday night.
After collecting 33 points and 17 rebounds against the Pride, she’s on pace to arguably the best individual season in the program’s history. And here’s the scary part for the rest of the MAC Commonwealth — her game has much room to grow.
“She can get a lot better,” Luck said. “I still think her best basketball is ahead of her. Even at the end of the first quarter (against Widener), she jacked up a 3 with 10 seconds left. That’s not what we were looking for.
“(Whether it’s) game management, clock management, when to make a move, when to take someone, when not to take someone, seeing that there’s help in the paint, she can get even better.”
Terrell ranks first in the conference in scoring (21.9), second in blocked shots (3.2), third in rebounding (11.5) and — get this —second in 3-point field goal percentage (37.8).
She surprised Widener by making 6-of-10 shots from behind the arc after going 1-for13 in her previous two games.
“My coach feels as though people are going to start doubling me inside and will try to flop when I go to the basket,” Terrell said. “If I work on my outside shot, it doesn’t give teams as many opportunities to get me in foul trouble.”
That’s been one of her few issues. She’s fouled out three times and has picked up four fouls in five other games. She also has committed a teamhigh 52 turnovers, including seven against Widener.
“When you look at the 33 (points) and see the seven turnovers, subtract those and see what you can really do,” Terrell said.
Her will to win can be often helpful and sometimes harmful. Because she wants to win so badly, she makes poor decisions, trying to do too much instead of allowing the game to come to her. It’s caused Luck angst.
“Sometimes it’s not the game plan,” Luck said. “Sometimes we want to run a different play or get the ball into somebody else’s hands. She might take a shot or make a move. If it goes in, great. If it doesn’t, I’m going to yell at her.
“When she’s having a good night, you let her play.”
Overall, though, the Lions feed off Terrell’s exuberance. When she draws doubleteams, it leaves open shooters like Maggie O’Hare, Brady Wassel and Amina Rauf.
“Dejah just has that fire,” said point guard Abby Gaffney, who also played with Terrell at Berks Catholic. “Once she gets the ball, she’s non-stop and she wants to go to the basket. Most of the time it works out, so it’s good. She can finish, score and pass.
“She gets everyone so pumped up. Her passion for the game affects everyone.”
Gaffney said Terrell is a much different player than she was last season when she temporarily lost the vision in her right eye and about 15 pounds from the rare combination of a corneal ulcer and a parasite.
Even though her health set her back, Terrell’s been on a mission since she learned she failed to qualify academically at Division I Rider and lost her scholarship there.
She and Gaffney, who transferred from Chestnut Hill, made their Albright debuts in a 66-44 loss to Messiah in December 2018 at Bollman Center. Terrell had six points in 13 minutes and hasn’t forgotten the defeat.