Lady Hornet duo inks with ABC
BRYANT—THE Lady Hornets basketball team gathered Wednesday afternoon to watch two players sign to continue their playing career into college. Seniors Kalia Walker and Allison Steen signed together both to play for the Arkansas Baptist College Buffaloes at Bryant High School.
“It’s a great day and a great time of the year with the seniors graduating,” Lady Hornets Coach Brad Matthews said. “It’s great our players have the opportunity to further their skills and chase their dreams they have gone after the past few years.
“We’ve been very fortunate to have players to go on and play in college, but this is the first time we’ve had two players sign on the same day, to the same institution.
Individually Mathews praised Walker as a dependable scorer over her threeyear Lady Hornet career.
“[Walker’s] first year we struggled,” Mathews said. “But each year we came back, and Kalia was a part of that team, and that didn’t happen by accident. Every year Kalia improved we improved as well.”
Walker’s season was highlighted by a 34-point game in the first round of the 6A state play-offs, as the Lady Hornets managed a 54-35 win over Van Buren. Walker averaged a teamhigh 10.8 points per game in earning All-state honors.
“Kalia’s a great lady who carries herself in a great way and it’s what got her to this point,” Matthews said. “It’s all the little things she works on her game to get better. All those things come together and Kalia has come a tremendous distance.”
As for Steen, Matthew’s believed she was crucial as a big body under the basket and helping secure crucial offensive rebounds.
“There are coaches in our league that many times they would ask ‘who is she?,’” Matthews said. “The impact [Steen] has made on our team this year is unmeasurable, whether it’s measurables like rebounding or shot-blocking, but her personality is contagious. Allison lightens up every room she walks in to on this campus.”
Matthews also bragged on Steen as being one of the most unselfish players to ever play.
“It took a number of times we would implore Steen to get an offensive rebound and score, not get an offensive rebound and pass it,” Matthews said. “It just speaks of her willingness to help the team. Our locker room will never be the same.”
Steen began her college search holding out for more options other than Arkansas Baptist.
“Me and Kalia talked and we decided we should go to Arkansas Baptist,” Steen said of the Little Rock school. “It’s close to home, and we would be able to make the team better.”
Both Steen and Walker’s first experience with Arkansas Baptist was through a scrimmage put on to show off the program to local talent.
“It was cool; [the coach] walked us around campus,” Steen said. “And then we got started with our scrimmage.
Walker was also excited after participating the Arkansas Baptist scrimmage.
“I enjoyed playing with the other teammates,” Walker said. “They were very nice, and very focused on basketball. I looked at all my options and just kept coming back to Arkansas Baptist. It’s closer to home so I can see my family every day, and they allow me to play how I want to play.”