Sophia, Baylor

Sophia Young’s run in the US NCAA college basketball ended last Saturday, when the Baylor Bears were knocked out of the title race.

The defending champion wilted under the attack of their opponents, losing to Maryland 82-63 in a semi-final of the Albuquerque region.{{more}}

Although it was an under par performance by Baylor, Young was still the hot hand top scoring with 26 points.

Baylor strolled to stardom last year when they won the NCAA Women’s Basketball title for the first time. Young who scored 26 points in her team’s 84-62 triumph over Michigan University in the Final was named the NCAA Most Valuable Player.

Last Saturday’s defeat stalled Baylor’s plans to make a repeat.

But for Young, it is the end of one phase of her career as she sits on the threshold of another.

Speaking after her last match Young was reported to have said that she had, “a good four years, and we have to move on”.

The 22-year-old will be among the draft picks for the WNBA and become the second Vincentian to do so, following Sancho Lyttle’s entry into the professional league last year.

Her tenure on the collegiate circuit saw Young chalking up several records.

She is the all time Big 12 leader in rebounding and was named the Big 12 Player of the Year for the 2005-2006 season.

Her statistics show that she is the all time Big 12 leader in points. She ended with 2,454 from the field and 1307 rebounds. Young, a forward, had some shattering performances, recording 61 double-doubles, to go with her 62 double digit rebounding, scoring double digits in 129 of her 138 games.

In addition, the six foot one inch Young entered an elite band of players who have scored over 2000 points, 1000 rebounds, 300 steals and 300 assists.

Young, originally from the Central Leeward town of Layou, left here in 1999, and spent three years at the Evangel Academy in Shreveport before moving to Baylor University.

A former national Under-16 netballer, Young will receive her education degree in May.