HARTSVILLE, S.C. - Coker College head women's basketball coach Shannon Johnson has announced the signing of Amanda Cherry, Ashauntee Nelson, and Hope Richardson to the 2018-19 roster.
Cherry, a native of Monroe, N.C., attended Sun Valley High School where she was a member of the women's basketball and softball teams for the Spartans. Cherry had an impressive career on the court for the Spartans, being named a two-time Southern Carolina Conference Player of the Year. Furthermore, Cherry is Sun Valley High School's all-time leading scorer with 1,694 points and assists leader with 433. During her senior season, Cherry averaged 19 points per game, the highest mark in the county, and led the Spartans to a conference tournament championship, the first Sun Valley has captured since the 1996 season. Off the court, Cherry was a member of the National Honors Society.
"Amanda is the high caliber type of player that will be a difference maker in our league," stated Johnson. "She's 5'9 and can play all of the guard positions. I'm looking for her to be a floor general and shoot the three-ball. Additionally, Amanda's IQ is extremely high and will separate her from others."
She plans to major in biology and is the daughter of Donnie and Nicole Cherry.
Nelson heads to Coker from Durham, N.C., where she attended Riverside-Durham High School. She was a member of the women's basketball, women's volleyball, and women's lacrosse teams for the Pirates. Playing at guard, Nelson was a three-year member of the women's basketball team at Riverside-Durham High School, playing in 75 games, accumulating 11.3 points per game, dishing out 1.8 assists per game, collecting 5.0 rebounds per game, snagging 2.4 steals per game, and recording 1.1 blocks per game. She earned 2015-16 Piedmont 4A All-Conference honors, 2016 NC Triangle High School OT Tip-Off All-Tournament team honors, 2016-17 NC Piedmont 4A All-Conference honors, 2017-18 NC Triangle 6 4A All-Conference honors, and 2017-18 NC Basketball Coaches Association 4A All-District Second-Team honors.
"I'm very enthusiastic about signing a player with the talent level of Ashauntee," said Johnson. "Her IQ is unmeasurable and she has the ability to dissect plays before they happen on the court. We are looking for her to play the guard position and be able to defend players twice her size with her length."
She plans to major in sport communication at Coker and is the daughter of Vernelle Massey.
Richardson joins Coker from nearby Darlington, S.C., where she attended Darlington High School. While attending Darlington High School, Richardson competed for the women's basketball and track & field teams for the Falcons. In the classroom, Richardson earned A-B Honor Roll. Richardson played at the center position for the Falcons.
"Hope is another player I couldn't let leave the Darlington County area," explained Johnson. "She allows us to run a five-out offense because she can play inside and outside. Hope is very athletic and passionate about being productive on the collegiate level."
She plans to major in biology at Coker and is the daughter of Sharon Smith and Ronald Richardson Jr.