On the basketball court, every player on the team has a role, and for the team to find success on the hardwood, each player must accept and execute that role at a high level.

In her four seasons at Selma High School, forward Jameneshia Caver took her role and ran with it, operating from the paint and helping lead the Lady Saints to another 20-win season in 2011-2012.

Caver said her coach and teammates motivate her, and she knows her team depends on her to grab boards and play tough defense on the inside.

“I just focus on getting rebounds and playing defense,” Caver said. “I focus on playing hard. It’s very important because we barely have post for real, and they depend on me to get rebounds, box out and things like that.”

Lady Saints’ head basketball coach Anthony Harris said Caver brings passion to the court and often controlled the paint, despite being what some would consider undersized for a post player.

“Caver, she played with a passion,” Harris said. “She never backed down. She played in the paint, too, at about 5’7. She ruled the inside and was consistent down there in the paint. I call her a little-big woman down there in the post. You’re not going to find too many of them 5’7 who can play the way she played down in the inside.”

Caver finished the year averaging 12.7 points on 50 percent shooting from the field, 7.6 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game.

She ended her career at Selma High with a career total of 1,016 points, 816 rebounds, 212 steals, 102 assists and 82 blocks.

Caver said she loves the game of basketball, and although the Lady Saints didn’t achieve their ultimate goal of winning a state championship in her four years, she’s still grateful to have played with such outstanding teammates.

“I just enjoy the game and I like having fun with my teammates,” Caver said. “We had a great season. I think we could have won a championship, too, because we had a great team. We just didn’t come with it defensively and we were just slowing down. But I think we had a great team. I made a lot of friends through that and we just came together like a family.”

Harris said Caver played hard and always gave her all for the team.

“She played hard every night for us — no question,” Harris said. “She never stopped playing and she always rose to the occasion for us every night. She worked hard every day, she worked hard in practice and she was probably the soul and heart of the inside for us for the last couple years. She did an outstanding job for Selma High.”

Caver said she wants to continue her basketball career, but she isn’t forgetting about academics.

“I want to play basketball, I want to go to the WNBA,” Caver said. “I’ll also probably major in nursing.”