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Two 2016 Lady Dragons basketball players sign

Two 2016 Lady Dragons basketball players sign

Published or Revised January 11, 2017

Player signing

Tiffany Murdock (left) and Kierra Smith (right) have signed to continue their education and playing careers after Paris Junior College. Looking on are, from left, PJC Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach Brittnie Haley, Head Women’s Basketball Coach Gonzalo Garza, and Athletic Director Deron Clark.

Tiffany Murdock and Kierra Smith have signed to continue their education and playing careers after Paris Junior College. Murdock was a guard and Smith played as a forward for the Lady Dragons basketball team. “From day one,” said PJC Women’s Basketball Coach Gonzalo Garza, “I told our sophomores that they were going to start a new era for Paris Junior College women’s basketball. An era that everyone can look back at and be proud of. We definitely grew and matured as a team this season, and Tiffany and Kierra were a huge part of the process of improving and getting better everyday. I am proud of their accomplishments and wish them the best as they continue their athletic and academic endeavors at the next level.” Murdock, a sophomore from Malvern, Ark., has signed with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. She is a graduate of Malvern High School. “That’s a great environment and I’m blessed to have a scholarship to UAPB,” said Murdock. “I learned a lot from Coach Garza; he taught me how to set the pace of the game and stay in control. He also taught me that communication is important. I feel like this season if we hadn’t communicated we wouldn’t have gone as far as we did. We went farther than a lot of people projected us to finish - in eighth. We played Trinity Valley and I feel we really competed when we played against them and all the other teams in the conference.” Smith, a sophomore from Texarkana, Texas, has signed with Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Mo. A graduate of Texas High School, Smith recently received NJCAA All Region Honorable Mention. “I loved the scenery at Southern State and the campus, the coaching staff, and the returning team members,” Smith said. “They welcomed me with open arms; I felt I was already a part of the family at Southern State. I learned how to be more mature here. There are a lot of people here that helped me grow so I’m very thankful for PJC in helping me to get where I have to go.”