GREENVILLE, S.C.. — Covington resident Tierra Hodges was named consensus Southern Conference (SoCon) Player of the Year in balloting by league head coaches and media last week.

Hodges, a former Alcovy High School star, is a fifth-year senior forward for Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. She fashioned a brilliant 2021-22 regular season, pacing the SoCon in scoring (18.0 ppg), rebounding (11.9 rpg), and free throw shooting (.832).  

She currently ranks seventh nationally in rebounding, is Furman's all-time leader in caroms (1,232), and also stands sixth on Furman's career scoring chart (1,607 points), according to a release from Furman University Athletics.

The 5-foot-9 Hodges earned league player of the week honors four times during the campaign and claimed SoCon Player of the Month citations for November, December, and January.

Hodges scored a career high 29 points and claimed 14 rebounds in the Paladins' 62-51 triumph over East Tennessee State in the regular season finale on Saturday.

Her headline play this year, which featured a league leading 18 double-doubles (points-rebounds), helped Furman go 11-4 over its final 15 games en route to a 17-11 regular season and 10-4 SoCon mark, good for a third place league finish. The Paladins' 10 conference wins are their most since the 2013-14 season.

"This is one of the proudest moments I have ever had as a head coach," said head coach Jackie Carson, now in her 12th season at her alma mater.

"Our program has witnessed first-hand the work Tierra has put in to be the best player she could possibly be," Carson said. "To be the unanimous Player of the Year pick shows the level of respect her work has garnered across the conference. She is the face of our program, and I am so happy others are acknowledging her in this way."

Hodges was the Player of the Year and a First Team selection on both the 2021-22 Coaches All-Southern Conference Basketball Team and the 2021-22 SoCon Sports Media Association (SCSMA) All-Southern Conference Basketball Team.

Furman (19-12) lost to Mercer in the championship game of the Ingles Southern Conference Tournament action Sunday, March 6, at Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville, North Carolina.  

Her other honors during her career at Furman included 2021-22 Preseason All-Southern Conference (Coaches); 2020-21 All-Southern Conference (First Team Coaches and Media); 2020-21 Southern Conference All-Tournament (Second Team); 2020-21 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll; 2019-20 All-Southern Conference (First Team Media); and 2019-20 All-Southern Conference (Second Team Coaches), according to information from Furman University Athletics.

The 23-year-old health sciences major is a native of Fort Stewart, Georgia, and the daughter of Ben Hodges Jr. and Mary Hodges. 

At Alcovy, Hodges played all three inside positions during her career for head coach Kevin Furtado. She averaged 24.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game on the way to earning Region 2-6A Player of the Year and Georgia Athletic Coaches Association (GACA) 6A South All-State honors as a senior, according to Furman University Athletics.

She was two-time All-Region and team MVP pick, scored over 1,000 points and shot over 50% from the field in her career. Hodges also starred with the Georgia Playmakers travel squad.