Lady Titans' Ward: Mars Hill a good fit

Credit: Marty Queen/dqueen@mcdowellnews.com

The McDowell Lady Titans’ Autumn Ward signs to play basketball at Mars Hill College. Seated with Ward are her parents, Kenneth and Shannon. In back is McDowell head coach Brian Franklin.

By: Marty Queen | McDowell News
Published: November 12, 2009

Good news for the McDowell Lady Titans' Autumn Ward may end up being bad news for the rest of the teams in the Mountain Athletic Conference.
Ward, a 5-8 wing, signed her letter of intent to play at Mars Hill College Thursday at McDowell High. The senior said signing early would help her to focus on the tasks at hand once the season starts Nov. 24.
"There's no pressure of college coaches watching me," said Ward. "I can just go out and play."
And that should make Ward — and the Lady Titans — even better than they were last year.
Ward averaged a team-best 15.1 points and 3.8 steals per game as a junior to go along with 2.6 assists per contest. A four-year varsity player and three-year starter, Ward helped McDowell go 23-6 and win the Northwestern 4A Conference regular-season championship for the third straight season and for the sixth time in the last seven years.
Since Mars Hill head coach Jen Nance favors an up-tempo game similar to that of the Lady Titans, Ward expects to fit right in with the Lions.
"Coach Nance really helped my decision because I like the way she coaches," said Ward. "I like her program. It's sort of the same game we play up here — run and gun, get the ball out and play."
There were other reasons for Ward's choice.
"I like Mars Hill because it's close to home and my parents can still come and watch me play," she said. "I feel like I can get more playing time there than I could at a bigger school. And I like the surroundings. I like the outdoors, so Mars Hill will be good."
Lady Titans head coach Brian Franklin agreed Mars Hill is a great fit for the senior star. He also said Ward's strong work ethic would make her an ideal college player.
"She plays all the time," said Franklin. "She plays open gym with the boys twice a week and plays with us twice a week. You see her at the park all the time; she's always playing. She's a gym rat, and that's one of the things that Coach Nance really liked.
"I think she'll get to college and soak up every bit of it. I see her being great at Mars Hill. I think it's a good fit for her."
Ward, a deadly outside shooter, has improved her all-around game significantly since her sophomore season, becoming a better defender and passer. She was an all-NW4A choice as a junior, and made the conference's all-tournament team, as well as all-district.
"When I first started here two years ago, she was really just a shooter," said Franklin. "She wasn't bad defensively, but she's improved so much since then and added so much to her game. She's big defensively now. She was one of the leaders in Western North Carolina in steals. She's really added penetrating to the basket and a mid-range game."
Mars Hill is a member of the South Atlantic Conference. The Lions went 12-16 last season.

Lady Titans' Ward: Mars Hill a good fit

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