Athlete Spotlight
Augusta Christian coach Keith Walton has an interesting coaching philosophy.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
"I tell them to shoot it all the time," Walton said after a game earlier in the season. "Anytime, anywhere just shoot it. I'm probably the most fun coach to play for in America."
Augusta Christian junior Jordan Little has done just that all season.
"I told her she better take, like, 20 shots a game," Walton said.
It has been Little's play that has helped the Lady Lions to the sixth winning season in the school's 28 seasons of girls basketball. Augusta Christian (16-9) also had a winning season during Walton's first tenure, and the first at the school since 2001.
"A great deal of our success is because of Jordan," Walton said. "We have other great players, but our team seems to go as she does."
In addition to helping the Lions to a winning record, Little and teammate Sarah Beth McKinney have been shattering the Augusta Christian record books. McKinney, also a junior, broke the school record for career rebounding earlier this season in the Garden City Classic.
Little also assaulted several records.
She broke a career record in the Garden City Classic for assists in a career. She broke the record with 199 assists and has continued to add to the total. She now has 306 and will likely add to that by the end of her career. She also holds the single-game assist mark and assists in a season at Augusta Christian.
"I caught wind of me getting close to the record," Little said after the record was broken. "It was nice to have the record, but we still have games to win."
She has the similar trifecta of single-game, single-seaon and career records for steals. She is ranked 11th in scoring at Augusta Christian.
Little, who averaged 14.9 points a game, was named unanimously to the SCISA 2-AAA All-Region team and was runner-up for Region Player of the Year.
Her point production doubled from seven last season as she helped pick up the slack after three key players moved on.
"It was easy to come together," Little said earlier in the season. "Most of us have been playing together our whole life. I think, with everything we have, we can win a state title this season."
Augusta Christian fell short of that goal losing in the first round of the state playoffs to Hilton Head Prep.
With Little returning next year with players McKinney and Lynlee Satcher, Augusta Christian might be poised to make that run.