Four years ago, Jordyn Alston could feel and sense the recruitment of Geneva County teammate Karoline Striplin, a 2021 Lady Bulldog graduate now at the University of Tennessee.
That recruitment sparked Alston on her own path – one that has led her to signing with the Enterprise State Community College Boll Weevils women’s basketball team.
“Being on a team with Karoline and seeing her getting college offers started me to think of college basketball,” Alston said on Wednesday after signing with ESCC during a ceremony at the Geneva County gym.
“I have been thinking about playing at the collegiate level for a while. I am excited to be going. Yeah, it was one of my goals for a while now.”
Alston, a 5-foot-8 guard/forward, averaged 17.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game this past season in earning Dothan Eagle Super 12 accolades and Alabama Sports Writers Association second-team all-state honors. She helped the Lady Dawgs to a 25-5 record and to the Class 2A state semifinals.
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During Geneva County’s state semifinal loss to eventual state champion to Mars Hill Bible, Alston earned 20 points, 14 rebounds and six block shots.
As a junior, Alston averaged 14.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.2 assists, helping GCHS to an 18-13 record.
“She was definitely outstanding – a great athlete and hard worker,” Geneva County head coach Lacy Holmes said. “I definitely wish I had 10 or 12 more on the floor like her. She has been an outstanding athlete for me. She is real quick up and down the floor. She can figure out ways to score without setting up plays for her.”
Holmes adds ESCC is getting a special “athlete.”
“She is all around athlete – not just in basketball, but she also cheers and runs track,” Holmes said. “She was a Class 2A state champion two years in a row in the 100-meter hurdles. She is just an overall athlete and great kid.”
At 5-foot-8, Alston gives opposing team defenses mismatch issues, said Holmes, because of her abilities to do different things.
“She can shoot the 3-point ball or get the ball quick and go in for a layup because of her quickness,” Holmes said. “She can also jump out of the gym. She could never dunk a basketball, but I have seen her dunk a pom-pom before. She can really jump, especially for a girl.”
Alston feels she can beat defenders on the drive and also battle with big players on the boards.
“I am good driving in and I can use my height to get close up to the boards and grab rebounds,” Alston said.
The new Boll Weevil signee said there were several factors that she liked in the ESCC program, led by new head coach George Scott. The ESCC campus is roughly 20 minutes up the road from Hartford.
“I like the coach,” Alston said. “He is really a great coach. He seems real nice. It felt good to go to ESCC. I am glad to be close to home and also be at the collegiate level to play basketball.”
