By Ashley Washington Clemson Sports Information
Feb. 20, 2005
“I have a stubborn attitude and I like to have my way. But I now know that there is an appropriate time and place for that,” says Tasha Phillips, a 5-9 junior guard on the Lady Tiger basketball team. Basketball has been the venue to help Phillips become a hard-working, dedicated person both on and off the court.
Growing up in Campbellsville, Ky., Phillips began playing basketball with four other girls in the sixth grade. “All five of us played together through high school, and then became the starting five in the lineup for Campbellsville High,” says Phillips. The other girls acquired softball and academic scholarships; Phillips is the only to have the opportunity to play Division-I basketball.
“I always wanted to get away from home to attend a Division-I school. No one in my hometown [Campbellsville] has ever gone to one”, says Phillips. The Division-I opportunity did not come immediately following high school. Leaving Kentucky, Phillips traveled to Panama City, Fla., to play at Gulf Coast Community College. The team won the NJCAA title during Phillips’ first season and made an appearance in the title game during her second season.
The time that Philips spent at Gulf Coast was more than two seasons to enhance her basketball skills. Phillips became a stronger person with the help of Gulf Coast coaches Roonie Scovel and Grover Hicks.
“They helped me to grow to be a better person both on and off the court. They emphasized being responsible, respectful, and disciplined”, says Phillips. Scovel and Hicks work as hard as they can to assure that the girls have every opportunity to enjoy the game of basketball.
“Those coaches have been the biggest influences in my life, I owe a lot to them,” says Phillips. Their influences have helped many of the girls that have attended Gulf Coast overcome many off-court problems. As Phillips was at Gulf Coast, she saw how they [coaches] would do everything to help the girls whenever they got into trouble, encouraging them to be mindful of their actions.
While playing for Gulf Coast, Phillips made a close friend with a player on an opposing team. Current Tiger Reggie Maddox and Philips became good friends as they faced each other during their two seasons in Florida. Maddox was at Chipola Junior College, in the same conference. During each of their last seasons, both young ladies talked with one another about their decision to play on the Division-1 level. Before Phillips prepared to take her visit to Clemson, she wanted to be certain that Maddox would also be there. “I called her [Maddox] before leaving for the National tournament to make sure. We both agreed that we would end up here [Clemson] together,” says Phillips.
Even when Phillips may face difficult circumstances in her life off the court, the impact that the coaches have had on her life keep her motivated. “They taught me to stick through everything and never give up”, says Phillips.
The determination that Phillips now has is very evident on the court. “During the close of my second and final season at Gulf Coast, the opportunity to play at the University of South Carolina was gone”, says Phillips. She had a scholarship offer to Clemson’s in-state rival university, but she did not get ACT scores in time to meet the deadline. And because of changes with the Gamecock coaching staff, the recruitment of Phillips cooled considerably.
Not allowing this predicament to bother her, Phillips took advantage of the situation and played one of her best games when the Tigers traveled to Columbia, S.C., this past December. “I couldn’t sleep the night before we traveled to Columbia. I was so anxious to play in that game that I literally stayed up talking to Reggie [Maddox] until 6 in the morning.” Phillips scored 22 points, with five shots coming from three-point range, to lead the Lady Tigers to a thrilling overtime victory.
Phillips has had many bright moments in her first season as a Lady Tiger. In Clemson’s most recent game, a loss to #3 Duke, Phillips almost single-handedly kept Clemson in the game as she scored 15 second-half points. She currently leads the team in three-pointers made (39) and is third in scoring average (8.0 points per game).
Phillips knows that her family is very proud of the accomplishments that she has earned. Phillips has two siblings, an older brother and a six-year-old sister, who are excited about her opportunity to play as a Lady Tiger. “I wanted to go to the biggest Division-1 school possible and make the best memories that I could. Everyone is proud of me and I know that I can continue to do well on my own, away from home,” says Phillips.
December 10, 2024
