The Selma Times-Journal has selected its All-County Girls Basketball Team for the 2017-2018 season. It was a challenge to whittle down the excellent group of nominees because of the many talented young women who led their teams this year.

This year’s first-team selections are Kynadra Lewis, Ta’Sharri Grimes, Shatavia Moore, Ebony Simmons and Kylan Brown.

Lewis was a senior guard for the Saints, who has played on the varsity unit all four years of her high school career, finished her final season scoring 14.3 points per game and averaging 6.1 steals per game. In her senior season, she attacked the basket more and  nearly doubled her scoring output from her junior season. Lewis was the best all-around girls point guard in the Selma/Dallas county area this season.

Grimes, Lewis’ teammate, was a high-scoring forward for the Lady Saints this year. As a junior, Grimes averaged 15.3 points per game and nine rebounds per game. She was just as comfortable driving in the lane through contact, as she was shooting from mid-range. The Lady Saints post play was hindered this season by injuries. Even though Grimes is primarily a scorer, her ability to rebound helped fill that need for the team. The Lady Saints are fortunate that Grimes still has her senior year left to improve her game further.

Moore played nearly every position for the Keith Lady Bears this season, and she had an incredible senior season. Moore was the leading scorer for Keith almost every night. She averaged 16.4 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game. When the Lady Bears won the area tournament, Moore was the MVP. When Keith won the regional finals, she was named the region tournament MVP. Moore and the Lady Bears made it all the way to the Final Four in Birmingham, before an opponent resorted to double-teaming her to try and slow her down. Moore was the best all-around player in the Selma/Dallas County area this season.

Simmons, a junior guard for the Dallas County Lady Hornets, was the team’s main offensive contributor this season. When Simmons was on, the whole team performed better. Simmons averaged 17 points per game, four assists per game and five rebounds per game. She wasn’t a one-dimensional scorer either. Simmons could shoot from the perimeter, mid-range and create space near the basket. Simmons was the top scorer in the Selma/ Dallas County area this season.

The final spot on the first team went to Brown from Southside High School. Similar to Moore, Brown was a forward that handled the ball and most of the scoring for her team. Brown averaged 12 points per game for the Lady Panthers. Brown played with high energy for the Lady Panthers and it was just her sophomore season. Her aggressive play style helped open up opportunities for her teammates as well.

In addition to the first-team selections, there were four other nominees who earned an honorable mention. Selma High’s Rodreckia Parker and Meadowview Christian’s Alyssa Verhoff and Erin McIntyre. Parker was a scorer for the Lady Saints. She often knocked down 3-point shots and forced turnovers that led to many of the team’s fast break scoring opportunities.

Verhoff averaged a double-double for the Lady Trojans and McIntyre nearly did so as well. Verhoff averaged 13 points per game and 14 rebounds per game. McIntyre averaged nine points per game and 12 rebounds per game.

Congratulations to each of these young women on an excellent 2017-2018 basketball season.