#By RENALDO DORSETT
#Tribune Sports Reporter
#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
#SHANEA Armbrister made a quick turnaround from the court to the sidelines with her first hire as a member of a collegiate coaching staff.
#The Bahamian national team standout is now the assistant coach of the Andrew College LadyTigers women’s basketball team, a National Junior College Athletic Association programme based in Cuthbert Georgia.
#“It is truly an honour and privilege to join coach [Courtney] Pritchett’s staff and the AC family,” Armbrister said in a press release. “I am thankful that he and the administration chose me to fill some big shoes. I believe in his vision for the programme, and I look forward to helping him take the programme to the next level and serving our student athletes both on and off of the court. Coach Pritchett has had an unbelievable impact on my life, even as I moved on to Georgia, we talked nearly every day. He believes in me and trusts me and I love Coach P”.
#According to Pritchett, Armbrister’s responsibilities will include coaching, player development and recruitment.
#“We are thrilled to have Shanea join our coaching staff. She is going to be able to connect really well with our student athletes and I am looking forward to watching her develop our players, especially our guards,” said Pritchett. “She has an outgoing and engaging personality, and I am confident that her unique ability to connect with individuals of all ages will bring a new energy to our efforts on the recruiting trail. Shanea holds a personal place in my heart, I feel like she is a part of my family. This will be a great opportunity for her.”
#The Lady Tigers compete in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association, the same conference where Armbrister received her start to her junior college career as a player with the Darton College Cavaliers.
#In her freshman season, she immediately became of the most dynamic freshmen in the NJCAA. The 6’2” wing was named a third-team All-American Association after she averaged 18.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Nationally, Armbrister ranked No. 23 in scoring average and No. 9 in free throw percentage (84.4). As a sophomore she averaged 26.9 points per game for the season, shooting 59 per cent from the field and 87 per cent from the free throw line. She also averaged 7.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
#Armbrister then progressed to the NCAA Division I level with the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs in the Southeastern Conference.
#As a junior, she played in 21 games for the Bulldogs. After battling through a torn meniscus in the early part of the year she hit 45 per cent from three-point range, the best average on the team for players with 10 or more attempts. Over the season she averaged 2.2 points and one rebound per game.
#Her numbers improved last year as a senior when she received 16 starts and upped her averages across the board to 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in 31 appearances. Her senior season was highlighted by the Bulldogs’ appearance at the locally hosted Junkanoo Jam, which gave Armbrister an opportunity to compete at home.
#For Team Bahamas on the international scene, Armbrister led the Bahamas to the Caribbean Basketball Championship 2015 title. It marked the third time that the Bahamas has won the title, but the first time since the organisers changed it from CARICOM to the CBC.
#Armbrister was named the championship game’s most valuable player after she led the Bahamas with a game-high 16 points, seven rebounds, four steals and one blocked shot in the 55-51 win over defending champions Jamaica.