Holden is closing out solid career for Cadets

Shavonne Holden was one of the top girls basketball players to come out of Columbia County in the past 15 years.

The 6-0 forward was a productive scorer and a relentless rebounder during her days at Harlem. She was voted the county girl's Player of the Year as a junior and senior.

Holden also was proficient in the classroom. So when it came time to pick a college program, she signed a scholarship to play at West Point.

Holden spent her first season out of high school at the United States Military Academy Prep School. It was during that season that she showed the Army coaching staff exactly what she was capable of on the court.

She poured in 22.6 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game. In the fall of 2001, she joined the Army basketball team, and Holden was an instant contributor. She played in 25 of the team's 29 games as a reserve forward. She averaged 2.2 points and 2 rebounds per game.

Holden made her big breakthrough as a sophomore. She became a starter early in the season and posted averages of 8.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. She was among the team leaders in both categories.

As a junior, Holden started all 28 games and was second on the team in scoring (10.5 points per game) and rebounding (5.9 per game).

As a senior this season, Holden continues to be a leader for the Lady Cadets. She has started all 18 games this season for the 10-8 Army squad. Her averages are a down a little, but her role on the team is as big as ever. Holden averages 9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. It seems hard to believe that it has been five years since she was cleaning the glass for the Lady Bulldogs.

However, it is no surprise that she has continued to excel on the court. And I'm quite sure she will be just as big a success off the floor when her career comes to a close this spring.