Halle Hughes could have left.
It would have been easy, too, especially in a day and age when college athletes quickly make decisions to transfer when opportunities and success don't come immediately. But the former Bradley Central standout and teammate and classmate of Kentucky guard Rhyne Howard has stuck it out at Lee University, and as her career hits its final season, she is reaping the benefits of that decision.
Her first three seasons yielded just 168 points in 68 games. The growth started last season, when Hughes had upped her scoring average to 8.0 points per game to go along with 5.2 rebounds and a 41% average on 3-point attempts. Those numbers have continued to climb this year, as she is second on the Lady Flames in scoring (12.9) and assists (2.5) while leading the group in rebounding (6.5).
"Those early years were tough," Hughes said recently, adding she also suffered a broken foot her junior season. "It's something I'd never been familiar with before, so it was tough, especially being a freshman that had a lot of minutes at Bradley. It took some adjustment, and I think that's why I try to help the freshmen each year that come in because I know what that's like. It was very difficult being the only freshman in my class, but I'm so thankful for it because I learned so much from it."
Hughes is currently one of five players from the Chattanooga area playing for the 9-2 Lady Flames, who are receiving votes in the latest NCAA Division II WBCA top-25 poll. Rhea County senior guard Micah Black and freshmen Anna Muhonen (Bradley), Kara Williams (Cleveland) and Maddie Zensen (Whitwell) are the others, with Muhonen, a freshman forward averaging 9.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in her first season on the floor.
Lee University senior guard Halle Hughes (12) / Lee University Sports Information"All the credit for Halle's growth goes to her," said Lee head coach Marty Rowe, who is 447-116 in 17-plus seasons at Lee. "She's worked extremely hard for me and is constantly working on things that make our team better. She's turned herself into a really good college basketball player."
She's also turned herself into a leader, as the senior-most member of the roster in terms of experience. Rowe pointed to that as a reason for Hughes' growth as a leader. She spent those early seasons learning under players such as former Meigs County standout Taylor Boggess and Abby Bertram, and now it's her turn.
Is this team close to becoming the team it could become? According to her, not yet.
"We have a lot of room for growth," Hughes said. "You see glimpses of it where we can play really, really well, but I don't think we'll ever be close until we start to be consistently together on the same page all the time and I think that one, that takes time, but two, I think that takes us all focused, all bought in and all playing for each other and right now I'm not sure sure we do that 100%."
But there's hope. There's potential, and if there's anyone that knows about being patient and focusing on improvement, it's Hughes.
"I love this team," she said. "I love this coaching staff, this program and everything they stand for, and this school has been very supportive. I'm learning a lot still as a fifth-year senior, but I would say those previous teams definitely taught me what and what not to do as a leader."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.