Feb. 17, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - With 17 wins recorded already this season, the women's basketball team is enjoying the best season in the history of the program. For senior Cora Beth Smith, it has taken a long time to come this far, not only for the Bulldogs as a team, but for Smith individually.

"Growing up in Murfreesboro, Tenn., there were few options for me to play when I started learning the game at camps when I was little," Smith said. "I was the first girl ever at the MTSU boys' basketball camps. They didn't even have girls' basketball camps. They would play shirts and skins and I thought it was funny because I was always on the shirts team. That experience has definitely impacted the style of my game even today."

Most of her early training came against her dad, as they would practice when he came home from work in the evenings. Smith recalls, "I would wait to hear the sound of him bouncing the ball in the driveway and then I would sprint outside to play with him. My mom would come out and get mad because we never wanted to come in for dinner and I never wanted to do my homework."

When Smith started playing competitively in seventh grade, she says she was not as good as the other girls she played with.

"I was horrible at basketball," insisted Smith. "People sometimes don't believe me but I really was. When I first started playing, I was the lowest sub. I sat the bench and only played when we were winning by a lot. I didn't even make my high school AAU team."

Even though she was discouraged, Smith already loved the game and worked hard to improve her skills. Every morning during the summer she worked with her junior high coach on basketball drills and conditioning. By the next season, she had developed into a starter for the same AAU team she had been cut from a year earlier.

Senior Cora Beth Smith will play her final regular-season home game Saturday afternoon against Eastern Kentucky.

The improvement continued as Smith was named MVP for her high school team for three years and scored more than 1,000 points in her high school career.

"I loved high school ball," said Smith. "It was a really special group because we went from being the worst team in the county to one of the best in the state."

Smith's junior year, her team went to the state tournament for the first time in school history.

"That was probably the best and worst time of my life. We got to the championship game which was an amazing ride, but then we lost after being tied in the fourth quarter and that hurt really bad," Smith said.

When it came time to pick a college, Smith knew she wanted to continue her career at a place where she could make a difference, just like she had done at her high school.

"Samford's program when I was recruited was still new. I knew they were going to try to change the program here and I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to come in and have the opportunity to make people better and at least have a chance."

However, coming to Samford was not an easy transition her freshman year, with the team posting a record of 7-20. Not one to give up, Smith had to change her attitude about the reasons why she was playing basketball.

"Losing challenged me to see basketball as not just about going to the championships but it made me realize I love the game of basketball, not just the stardom it can bring," explained Smith. "When your team isn't winning you see who loves the sport for what it is, as opposed to what you can get out of it. If I didn't love it I sure would not have kept playing after a couple of disappointing seasons when we didn't win."

Smith chose Samford for a chance to prove herself, and she immediately started making an impact. As a point guard, Smith is counted on to run the offense and show confidence in leading her teammates on the court. Smith has earned a top ten spot in 10 of Samford's 13 career records, including games started, points scored, and assists. This season, she currently leads the team in assists with 88 and is second in scoring with an 9.2 points per game average.

Smith has made a difference in Samford's program and said, "I believe if you don't challenge everybody you're around, you're not going to get any better or make them any better. The difference between my freshmen year and now is drastic. The way we run our program and what we're able to accomplish, people respect that."

Although the program has improved, this year's team still has one goal on their minds: winning the OVC championship. Currently sitting in third place, the Bulldogs look to have a chance to win the conference this season.

"We have the talent and we've beaten the teams in our league that will be in the tournament," said Smith. "If our team doesn't win a championship then it will be a disappointment for our entire team, from (Head) Coach (Mike ) Morris down, because we know we can do it."

For Smith, it's not just a team goal to win, but a personal desire of hers as well. To win against the tough competition of the OVC, the team will need strong performances from the leaders of the group, especially Smith as a senior, captain and point guard. But she has the motivation to make the difference once again for her team.

"I want to win the OVC [tournament]," Smith stated. "I've never won a championship. In high school we had two chances in the championship game to win it and it's one of the worst feelings I've never gotten over. That's something in life I've wanted to fulfill and it's something I haven't done, but I have the opportunity. I want to finish my career as an athlete on a high note."

Even after college, Smith's involvement with the game she loves might not be over. Smith would like the chance to play the role of a coach, like those who helped her to develop as a player.

Coaching would be another great chance for Smith to make a difference. After all, she has already made a difference at Samford.

"I'm just really honored to have been part of the first team to take it to the next level. It feels good to know you've started something."