The college basketball season is ticking right along.
And former Hampton Lady Bulldog standout Alexus Grubbs is nine games into her freshman season at Mar Hills, and with 212 minutes of playing time and five games started, the Lady Lion said she is enjoying her first season at the collegiate level.
“It wasn’t a hard change from high school to here,” said Grubbs Wednesday over the phone before hitting the gym for some shooting practice. “The environment is really great. I haven’t had any trouble or anything like that.
“Basketball-wise it is a little bit different,” added Grubbs. “There is a lot more hard work. Games are tougher.”
Outside of the regular practice schedule, Grubbs said she tries to get to the gym every day to work on her shooting. However, with college basketball comes college academics, and Grubbs said juggling basketball and school work takes some doing.
“It is a lot harder,” said Grubbs. “You actually have to do work. You have to study. You have to prepare. In high school, you don’t have to do that as much, and it is a lot easier to get through. But in college, you have to focus. I try to manage my time and even everything out.”
The Lady Lions, who are coached by Jenny Finora who started at Mar Hills in 2016, are currently 1-8 overall and 0-2 in their league.
“We are playing good, but we could be doing better,” said Grubbs. “We haven’t hit our peak yet. So hopefully we will be doing that soon.
“We have had a few ups and downs,” added Grubbs. “Chemistry-wise we are getting better. We all get along pretty well.”
Over her 212 minutes of playing time, Grubbs has accumulated 46 points for the Lady Lions. Grubbs best performance came during Tuesday’s game at Warren Wilson. During the close 76-74 loss, Grubbs racked up 14 points while knocking down four 3-pointers. Grubbs also finished the game with five rebounds. As the season moves along, Grubbs said she is finding her place on the Lady Lions.
“Coach Fionora wants me in the game for shooting,” said Grubbs. “At first, I wasn’t shooting as much as I needed to. So now I realize that my job on the floor is to shoot and help create some offense. I understand what she expects from me.”
Some of Grubbs’ other top showings include a nine-point, five-rebound performance against Limestone and an eight-point game at Belmont Abbey.
“I am enjoying it,” said Grubbs. “I like my team and coaches. It is a lot of fun. It is a different level because you are playing with people who are all around the same skill level. Everyone is really good and adaptive.”
At Hampton, Grubbs amassed over 1,700 points and made a trip to the state tournament with the Lady Bulldogs her senior year. And even now, with her busy schedule, Grubbs still finds time to watch the Lady Bulldogs compete.
“I did during Thanksgiving break,” said Grubbs. “I will be there tomorrow to watch their game with Happy Valley.”
Grubbs will be back on the court this Saturday as Mars Hill hosts Newberry.