HHCA’s Ziaira Doe signs to play basketball at Alabama State

As recently as a month ago, Ziaira Doe wasn’t entirely sure whether she wanted to continue pursuing basketball in college. An Air Force career also intrigued her, and she was studying her options.

On Monday, Hilton Head Christian’s cornerstone unveiled her decision.

Yeah, she’s playing ball.

Doe signed a national letter-of-intent to play for Alabama State, where she’ll join a Lady Hornets squad coming off an NCAA Tournament berth after winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference crown.

“It’s really a blessing,” said Doe, the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year this season. “I’m extremely happy that came along. And I can still serve in the Air Force (afterward) if I want to pursue that.”

Also locking in his college path Monday was tennis player Cameron Clark, who signed to play for Coker College.

“It’s a great feeling,” said Clark, who has alternated the Nos. 1 and 2 spots in the lineup this season with Alex Likins. “To see seven or eight years of hard work come together, it’s what you look for.”

Doe scored more than 1,900 points during her HHCA career, including a 24.3 average this season as the lone regular back from the Eagles’ 2015 state championship team. HHCA wound up getting as far as the SCISA Class AA semifinals.

“She’s definitely the foundation of what we’ve built our program around,” coach Kenny Conroy said.

Alabama State was something of a latecomer to the process, Doe said, not making contact until after her senior season began.

“Usually they see you play during the summer,” she said, “but they pulled my highlight tape and were very interested.”

Even after seeing a subpar game when she played hurt against Frederica Academy, ASU kept in contact. And now she’ll have a chance to play in a Division I program.

“She’s worked hard for it, and she truly deserves it,” said her father, Leneal Doe. “The countless hours she put in at the gym — offseason, during the season, just working on her game — we’re just happy for her that it all paid off.”

Alabama State went 19-12 last season, earning a share of the SWAC regular-season title and beating Southern to win the conference tournament. Their NCAA Tournament stay was short, beaten by No.2 seed Texas in the opening round.

The Lady Hornets lose two starters off that squad, though top scorer Britney Wright returns.

“I’m not saying that I will get a lot of minutes,” Doe said, “but I will say I’m going to work very hard to get into that top (rotation).”

Clark will join a Coker roster that loses two seniors, with all five others completing their sophomore seasons. The Cobras also have a Hilton Head link in coach Bill Simpson, who spent five summers coaching at the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy.

This story was originally published April 18, 2016 at 7:43 PM with the headline "HHCA’s Ziaira Doe signs to play basketball at Alabama State."