Mitchell Signs Basketball Letter-of-Intent

Everything happens for a reason.

El Dorado’s Meshali Mitchell did not have a dream senior season but she never stopped trying. She was rewarded for her perseverance Friday as she signed an NAIA basketball letter-of-intent with Southwestern Assemblies of God University.

Mitchell, a 5-5 shooting guard, came off the bench for the Lady Cats, averaging 6.3 points per game. She connected on 34-of-140 3-point attempts and owns a natural jump shot, which caught people’s attention.

“It’s very rare to find a girl that has a jump shot like that,” said SAGU coach Robbie Shay. “She really gets off the floor and shoots her jump shot. She’s got pretty good range for her age.”

Said El Dorado coach Brad Slatton, “She shoots a boy’s jump shot. She always has. That’s something she’s always had and it’s an asset. She jumps well. She’s a good athlete.”

The Lady Cats went 17-9 and qualified for the Class AAAAA State Tournament for the first time since 1994. El Dorado finished in a tie for third in the AAAAA-South. It was a season of firsts for the girls basketball program as Mitchell became the first girl to sign a college basketball letter in recent memory.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I was little,” said Mitchell. “I dreamed about it. It’s weird that it’s finally happening.”

SAGU competes in the NAIA Red River Conference. The university is located in Waxahachie, Texas. The Lady Lions finished 13-19 last season and were fifth in the 10-team league. The team loses just two seniors and returns a young squad.

“With her doing some work this summer and then coming in and getting to work with her one-on-one, I think she’ll come in and contribute,” said Shay. “I don’t know if she’ll start right away but I definitely think she’ll contribute to the team. Offensively, I think she’ll help us a lot.”

Mitchell, whose father Robby is an evangelist, said she likes the atmosphere.

“It’s a Christian atmosphere and that’s what I wanted to go to. That’s what I want to do in life and it’s where I feel I need to be,” said Mitchell, a 3.5 student who plans to study business and General Ministry.

“With this school, she can kill two birds with one stone,” said her father. “She can play college ball and still pursue what she wants to. It feels good.

“I’ve worked with her since she was five. She started shooting with a Nerf ball, then she moved up and went outside on one of those plastic Tykes goals. She graduated to an 8-foot goal and then on to the 10-foot goal. I always knew she had the ability. I knew if she was unleashed, she could play at the next level.”

Statistically, Mitchell’s senior season was her least productive. She scored 6.3 points per game after averaging 9.5 last year and 7.0 as a sophomore. Her 3-point percentage was the lowest in her career. In three years, she hit 101-of-388 3-pointers (26.1 percent) and hit 69-of-114 at the line. She reached her single-game, career-high of 26 points twice, including against Benton this season.

Although her numbers were down, Mitchell’s all-around skills might have been better. She was solid defensively and she cut her turnovers in half.

“When she was a sophomore, she was primarily a scorer-type person,” said Slatton. “That was her whole game. I think she grew to learn to play both ends. Just being a total basketball player, I think she grew that way for sure.”

A starter throughout her career, Mitchell came off the bench as a senior. Although she still led the team in 3-point attempts, she said it was a tough year for her, personally.

“Honestly, it was really hard. It was probably my hardest year in basketball,” said Mitchell. “But, I feel like it taught me a lot about life and basketball. I can’t always get what I want.”

If Mitchell grew as a person because of personal adversities, ironically, those adversities might’ve helped to mold her into the type of student-athlete SAGU was looking for.

“As a person, she’s great. She will fit right into our program,” said Shay. “As a coach, not only do you look for talent but you look at the type of kid you’re getting. Meshali is not going to be a problem in the classroom or off the court. She will be a blessing in that area and that’s as important as athletic ability. She’s just a great kid. I feel like Southwestern is lucky to get a kid like that. We’re excited about her being apart of our team.”

Mitchell is excited about the opportunity. She already has a workout planned, which includes shooting 500 shots a day. Her list of things to do includes hitting the weights, ball handling and lots of shooting.

“I have to give thanks to God for giving me the talent. I’m going to use it for Him,” said Mitchell. “Special thanks to my dad and to Coach Slatton for working with me on a lot of stuff and to Coach (Ken) Blackmon, who was my first coach.

“I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to getting better. I’m getting another good coach. It’s a Christian atmosphere with Christian friends, Christian teachers, Christian coaches.”