CLEVELAND, Tenn. - With an older and a younger sister, plus three first cousins all hovering around 6 feet tall, Sydnie Anderson will never stand out in a family picture.

Yet for the moment, she's getting her opportunity to stand taller than them all.

The Cleveland senior signed scholarship papers to continue her basketball career at Lincoln Memorial University, an NCAA Division II school in in the South Atlantic Conference.

The 5-foot-8 Anderson averaged 10.1 points and 1.7 steals a game for the Lady Raiders last season and was All-District 5-AAA. She chose the Harrogate school over D-I member Tennessee State.

"I really liked the campus, and the coach stressed that he wanted me there," Anderson said. "When I got there, there are some players that fit the mold of how I play, and I could see myself playing with them and helping the team out.

"I liked TSU, but there are too many distractions in Nashville and I wanted to get somewhere where I could stay focused."

In his announcement release, LMU coach Roger Hodge called Anderson "a dynamic scorer that can get to the rim and shoot from the perimeter."

"Sydnie Anderson represents our commitment to bring the best players in Tennessee to Lincoln Memorial University," Hodge said. "Sydnie is also another great competitor that will fight every possession. Mindy Kiser at Cleveland High School has done an outstanding job in developing her talents.

"Sydnie also plays for one of the premier AAU programs in the state under Quran Nalory. I am very proud that we are able to add another talented player who is also a person of outstanding character to Lady Splitter Basketball."