Bryan gets CCS's hard-working Owens

Mercedes Owens is expecting a major shift in her schedule in the upcoming weeks. But she doesn't mind adjusting to it.

The former Chattanooga Christian School basketball player signed scholarship papers Friday night to continue her career at Bryan College.

Owens, a 3-point specialist, helped the Lady Chargers win 81 games in four years, reaching the region tournament each season.

"One of the main reasons I chose Bryan was because of the Christian atmosphere," she said. "I feel God pushed me to go there, and I want a better relationship with him.

"The school has good academics, I loved the basketball and the faculty was great. I fit in with the team. Most of the girls are 3-point shooters, and that's what I do."

Indeed, new Lady Lions coach Jason Smith has signed four freshmen and each is a guard.

"We're a little guard heavy, so there will be stiff competition at her position, but we expect Mercedes to compete and fight for playing time," Smith said. "She's a good shooter and she understands her role, and with her work ethic I think she will become a great shooter. She is dedicated to getting better on a constant basis."

Owens has put herself through a grueling regimen this summer. She worked out with Al Cantrell from 8 to 9 a.m. and with Tyner coach Gerald Harris from 9 to 10:30. She then went to D1 Sports Complex from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., had an afternoon shootaround and worked out one more time.

She did that routine six days a week, taking 600-700 shots a day.

"I've never seen anyone put as much work into their game as she did," Harris said. "I had to quit working her out at one point because she was working so hard and I thought she'd get burned out."

Said Owens: "My other trainer [Cantrell] also stopped working out with me for three weeks, too. I just feel that college is going to be a lot faster, and I just want to improve my ball-handling and endurance."

Her CCS coach, Pam Hindman, said an injury to fellow senior Chelsea Jones pressed Owens into playing inside more, and she responded by becoming the team's second-leading rebounder.

"It became her signature," Hindman said. "We had to change her role her senior year. She could have averaged a lot more points, but she never flinched and was willing to do whatever was going to help the team."

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