Lady Tiger standout Moore commits to Shelton State

As her team sits at 17-0 and looks to continue its quest for a state championship, Demopolis High senior Ivery Moore has cemented her plans for the 2016-2017 season. The Lady Tigers’ standout forward has verbally committed to play for the Madonna Thompson led Shelton State program.

“It’s big. Ivery is following in the footsteps of her sister Shadijah who played at Shelton State too,” Demopolis coach Tony Pittman said, noting the similarities in the path Moore is taking and that which her sister, who currently plays for Sam Houston State, took four years ago. “A great program who turns out great kids who go on to different schools each and every year. Madonna does a great job with that program. She really enjoys watching our program and watching our kids play, so she really tries to pull kids out of our program.”

Moore has played a key role for the Lady Tigers since her freshman season and is a three-year starter for Pittman’s squad. Given the absence of traditional post players, Moore spends most her time in the paint for the Lady Tigers this season.

“She wanted to use me as a 3. She told me to work on my ball handling. She sees me as a 3 and a 4, but she told me to work on my ball handling because it comes with a lot of work. And (she told me to) work on my perimeter shooting,” Moore said of Thompson’s intention to use her at the small forward and power forward spots at the next level. “We don’t have a true post player, therefore I have to play down low. But I’ll work on my ball handling in the offseason.”

Moore has built her game around her driving ability, an asset Pittman believes will take her far at the next level.

“Her ability to get to the basket. She’s a slasher. She has developed a mid-range shot,” Pittman said. “But she’s a go-getter. She is going to give you everything she has got. She is going to play hard. She has just got to get better with the mental part of the game, but she is a kid that is going to give you the very best night in and night out.”

The appeal of Shelton State was twofold for Moore, who said she received the offer in December during a visit to the campus.

“They’re the No. 1 JuCo school to transfer after two years,” Moore, who hopes to continue playing basketball beyond Shelton, said. ““It’s important that I’m close by my grandmother because I’m the only one in the house and I’m the last one graduating. I don’t want to go far away from her or anything like that.”

“They’re getting a fun-loving kid who is going to bring a lot of energy to the program,” Pittman said. “She is very easy to get along with. She loves her teammates and she really cares about her teammates.”

Moore’s commitment further solidifies a developing rapport with the Shelton State women’s basketball program, a relationship Pittman attributes in part to the efforts of his assistant coaches.

“That’s a big plus for us,” Pittman said of the growing relationship with Thompson’s program. “My staff and I, we work extremely hard with our kids. It’s not from October to March. We start in the summer and we continue to work. If you want to have a great program, you really have to put the time in and I’m thankful to have a staff who works hard for those kids.”