On a Lady Bulldog team that has few seniors, junior guard Marneshia Richard has assumed a leadership role after two seasons of looking to others for guidance.
After a standout sophomore season, Richard looks to bring a lot of strengths to the Lady Bulldogs.”I feel like I bring defense and passion to this team,” Richard said. “I am always looking for open shots, I have a lot of patience, and I have the willingness to do anything I can for this team.”
In Richard’s sophomore year, she scored 10 points and became the sophomore single season assists leader with five dishes against Western Kentucky and dished out eight assists against Tulane along with 11 points.
Richard was the leading scorer against Florida in the Southeastern Conference Tournament with 18 points, also tying a career-high with three 3-pointers made against the Gators.
She recorded 15 points and tied a career high with seven rebounds against South Carolina and tallied 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field against the Crimson Tide.
Lady Bulldogs head coach Sharon Fanning said Richard is an asset to the team because of her determination.
“Marneshia is a hard nosed player. She is mentally tough, works hard and is a tremendous help,” Fanning said. “She is always setting an example for this team. She is always finding a way to win and helping us win.”
In her sophomore season, Richard was also the top assist leader with six against Ole Miss and also added 15 points in the loss.
She also led Mississippi State with 15 points and five assists against Vanderbilt.
Richard also scored a career-high 24 points and tied a career high with seven rebounds against Florida.
Richard also scored game-winning goals with one second on the clock against Ole Miss and finished the game with 15 points against the Lady Rebels.
She set the sophomore class record for the most assists in a single game and ranks fourth on the all-time list in the category.
Richard’s teammates said they look up to her and admire her both as a player and a person.
“Marneshia has become a leader for this team,” senior guard Miayorka Johnson said. “She works hard throughout the whole game. She is smart, strong, willing to do whatever it takes, and she has so much potential.”
Sophomore guard Tysheka Grimes said Richard works well with the younger players on the team in advising them on areas for improvement.
“Marneshia brings a lot to this team. She is a leader, a hard worker, strong minded, very positive, consistent, willing to learn and teach, very smart on and off the court, and she has great potential,” Grimes said. “She knows the game, she is very vocal and just all around she is a good player.