Lady Raider sophs head to four-year schools

Three Rivers sophomore Da’Kariya ‘Lia’ Jackson is headed to Louisiana Tech to continue her career after leading the Lady Raiders to the NJCAA quarterfinals this season.

DAR file/Mike Buhler

The Three Rivers College women’s basketball sophomore trio of Da’Kariya “Lia” Jackson, Amiya Johnson and Mya Davidson played a big part in the Lady Raiders making to the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Tournament.

Now, they have chosen where they will continue their college basketball careers at the four-year level.

Jackson recently signed at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, while Davidson is headed to St. Bonaventure University in western New York and Johnson will stay in Missouri after signing at Stephens College in Columbia.

Three Rivers coach Alex Wiggs “couldn’t be happier” for the trio, all three of which earned all-Region 16 recognition during their time at TRC.

“It’s always good to see good people accomplish good things,” Wiggs said. They all had had multiple opportunities, so it’s really good to see them go places that, most importantly, they were wanted, where they get to go live on that dream of playing at a four-year.”

Jackson helped the Lady Raiders run their streak of national tournament appearances to four in a row during her two years here and earned Region 16 Player of the Year honors. She also scored 34 points in the Region 16 championship game in March, helping TRC also lock up an automatic bid to nationals.

“She’s been our vocal leader, our leader every day, and it’s going to be hard to replace that,” Wiggs said. “She’s grown so much, not only on the court but off it, as a human and just growing up. It’s good to see her hard work, her dedication and commitment pay off in those awards and those accolades that she’s got.”

Jackson also said she grew in her two years at Three Rivers.

“I was young — I was 18 coming here and I’m 20 leaving,” Jackson said. “Growing as a young adult, being here has really helped who I became and who I saw myself as. I realized that I was more than what I was putting myself in. I just needed to be around the people that could make me believe that as well — and Three Rivers did that.”

Jackson was impressed by the interest Louisiana Tech showed in her this season.

“They came and watched me in practices, they came and watched me in games — and they traveled all the way to Casper, Wyoming just to watch me,” Jackson said. “It feels like I can do there what I did here. … I feel like it will be the same environment with good people, good energy and all that.”

For Davidson, the decision to head to St. Bonaventure was an easy one, as her aunt played there for the team’s current head coach.

“It’s deeply rooted in my family,” Davidson said. “And there’s just a great community. It’s a smaller town, so I can get the same feel I got here, which is community support. It’s a great education, it’s good basketball and it’s in a really good conference.”

Davidson joined TRC as a transfer this season, but speaks well of her time here.

“Really, just the great environment (here stood out),” Davidson said. “It’s a winning culture and a good school. It’s very homey.”

Davidson is “a kid that I wish we could have had for two years because of her growth and her buy-in to this team’s success,” Wiggs said. … “She has played a huge part. She accepted her role, whatever that role was and can be. Her best basketball is ahead of her, just for the simple fact that she’s bought into the doing whatever it takes — the time spent in the gym and the extra work that it takes to be successful.”

Meanwhile, Johnson said Stephens’ coach sold her on the school.

“We were talking a lot and he made it very convincing,” Johnson said. “I just wanted to go there and see because it’s a bigger city too, so I’m glad to get used to that.”

Johnson praised her time at Three Rivers for helping her to improve as a player, and she wants to take what she learned here to the Columbia institution.

“I want to win a lot of game, win championships and just (help them) do stuff they haven’t done before,” Johnson said.

Wiggs had much praise for Johnson, a Hayti native who earned the nickname “the Microwave,” after former Detroit Pistons player Vinnie Johnson.

“We gave her that nickname, ‘The Microwave,’ because last year, she’d come in and be instant offense off the bench,” Wiggs said. “That’s what people in Southeast Missouri know her for. I think she scored 54 points in a high school game or something like that.

“But what got her this opportunity was not only that, but also her buy-in on the defensive end. She’ll guard you 94 feet. She is going to get to go do big things that Stephens. I know that they’re super-excited about having her. She has meant so much this program, just her as a human, her leadership, her her ability to show up every single day and give it her best.”