Jordan Little said it was a close decision, but ultimately she found the right school.
Little recently signed to play for Union University in Jackson, Tenn., next season.
“I want to thank my dad, who introduced me to the game and helped me become the player I am today, and the rest of my family who has supported me throughout the years,” Little said in a statement on Twitter. “I also want to show my appreciation to my high school coaches, travel ball coaches, and coaches at Three Rivers, all of my teammates, and my best friend, who has been with me through a lot!”
Little was a consistent presence for the Three Rivers backcourt during her two years, averaging 11.2 points as a sophomore and 11.4 points as a freshman. She was a two-time MCCAC All-Conference and two-time All-Region XVI selection.
“She brings that consistency day in and day out. She is tough as all get out,” Three Rivers coach Alex Wiggs said. “Very coachable kid. When she would make a mistake or need to correct something, she’d go out there and do that.”
This past season she also averaged 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists, both slight improvements over her freshman season, and was the primary point guard for a sophomore class that went 53-10 overall and 22-1 against region opponents in the regular season and tournament combined.
“Coach (Jeff) Walk was very hard on point guards and we demanded a lot from the point guard position,” Wiggs said. “She did everything we asked her to do as a point guard and could not be happier with her growth over her two years here.”
She shot 41.3% from the field as Three Rivers reached the Region XVI championship this year, as well as 30.6% on 3-pointers and 72.5% on free throws.
Little scored a season-high 21 points in a 96-92 win at Mineral Area in early January on 6 for 15 shooting and 6 for 6 on free throws. It marked the end of a five-game stretch where Little scored between 19 and 21 points four times.
“Her ability to knock down that 23-25 footer is something that not very many kids have or are able to do,” Wiggs said.
She scored at least 19 points one other time during the season, in a 102-57 win over Arkansas State Mid-South.
Little had one double-double this year when she got 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 78-58 home win over Jefferson on Jan. 29. She also had five assists and three steals in that game. She earned a season-high seven assists in a 61-point win over Arkansas Baptist, and a season-high five steals in a 67-point win over Arkansas State Mid-South.
She scored 20 points one time as a freshman, in a 90-88 loss to Southeastern Illinois. In that game, just her third as a Lady Raider, Little came off the bench and played 37 minutes while going 6 for 15 from the field and 5 for 10 on 3-pointers. It was the only time she didn’t start a game at Three Rivers.
“Jordan was a silent leader,” Wiggs said. “She would get in there and scrap. She was a stronger kid and she used that well.”
It was one of eight games that season where Little played at least 30 minutes. She also played 37 minutes in a 20-point win over Crowder, where she finished with 17 points on 5 for 8 shooting.
With added depth on the roster as a sophomore, Little played 30 minutes or more four times, with a max of 32 minutes in that win at Mineral Area where she scored 21 points.
“To all the coaches who took the time to recruit me and get to know me, thank you so much!” Little said. “It was a long journey and a lot of things that went into deciding, but I believe I found the right school for me.”
Scott Borkgren - Daily American Republic