MEADOWDALE ALL-TIME
SCORING LEADERS
Nottia Ward (Class of 2016) 1,297
Lindsey Crawford (’03) 1,272
Ja’la Henderson (’15) 1,215
Damika Brown (’92) 1,190
Meadowdale senior Nottia Ward is the school’s all-time leader in most points scored, which is quite an accomplishment considering the outstanding boys and girls basketball talent that has played for the Lions over the years.
Not even high-scoring Ray Springer, a 1986 Meadowdale grad who played at the University of Dayton, or Jamie Skelton, the ’94 Big Ten player of the year at Ohio State, scored more than Ward’s 1,297 points for the Lions.
How about 1966 grad Mike Pratt, who scored more than 1,300 points at Kentucky? Not even close. According to Lions girls coach Chad Miller, the top four all-time scorers in Meadowdale’s roundball history are girls, led by Ward.
“I never expected this,” said Ward, a speedy 5-foot-7 offensive igniter. “I really didn’t strive for it until my junior year once coach Chad told me I was really close.”
Ward is averaging a City League-best 19.8 points and put a season-high 29 points on Ponitz. Her career high is 31 as a freshman.
She’s already accepted a scholarship to OSU through the Young Scholars Program that targets minority high school seniors who have maintained a high grade-point average, excelled in college prep curriculum and have a financial need.
She’s planning on pursuing a major in criminal justice following the advice of an older cousin. “I thought it would be a good fit for me,” Ward said. “It really makes me nervous. Listening to my parents, my friends and family, I think I can do it.”
Besides being the first in her immediate family to attend college, she’s also hoping to land a walk-on tryout with the Buckeyes’ women’s basketball team.
Miller is the dean of City League girls hoop coaches, having started at Meadowdale during the 1999-2000 season. He labels Ward a difference-maker. An all-around athlete, Ward also has been on the Lions’ track, golf, tennis and softball teams.
“She’s one of a kind,” Miller said. “She’s a team captain and team leader. She’s a real good athlete; one that you would love to have. She plays all five positions and she uses her intellect when she plays. Her basketball IQ is really up there. When the bigs are not in she goes down and plays the post area, which is an advantage because when she does get the rebound she starts the break.”
Ward usually is double-teamed or faces a box-and-1. Equipped with a motor that stays revved up, she often plays every minute. “She’s got a gas tank that’s unreal,” said Miller, also the Meadowdale athletic director.
Ward and Thurgood Marshall junior Cierra Hooks are the two best City League players. Hooks scored 16 in Wednesday’s 56-53 loss to Walnut Hills.
Meadowdale (8-10) is lumped in the upcoming Division II sectional tournament at Tecumseh along with City League rival Belmont. Meadowdale hosts Ponitz on Thursday.
• Miami Valley junior Tia Karras scored 14 points in a 53-34 defeat of Troy Christian on Monday to surpass 1,000 career points. An outstanding long-range bomber, the 5-8 guard is averaging a team-high 16.9 points and has hit 43 of 101 three-pointers (42.6 percent).
Tia’s sister, senior Elea Karras, should follow soon. The 5-10 center has 940 career points.
The Rams are 16-2 and clinched the Metro Buckeye Conference title with the win with two conference games remaining. Miami Valley is at MBC runner-up Xenia Christian (14-4, 5-3) on Monday.
• The girls Southwest District tournament draw meetings are at 2 p.m. Sunday at Troy, Lebanon, Wilmington, Franklin Monroe and Lakota West high schools. The boys tourney draws are one week later.
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