COVINGTON, Ga. — Newton High School senior Alise Akridge recently put pen to paper and signed a National Letter of Intent to further her academic and basketball career at Albany Tech.

“It was a surreal feeling,” Akridge said of the signing. “I’m excited to go to college.”

Akridge had her mind made up about where she would be playing basketball at the next level before entering the Lady Rams’ 2019-20 season. She built a strong connection with the coaching staff at Albany Tech and felt it was the best fit for her to continue growing as a basketball player.

“I had a better relationship with that organization than I did with anybody else,” she explained.

Newton head coach Tiffani Johnson shared high praise for her lengthy shooting guard.

“Alise brought a lot of leadership to our program. She grew a whole lot this season from a maturity standpoint and consistently provided a lot of energy,” Johnson said. “She’s a good rebounder, a good defender and just a good overall teammate to be around.”

Akridge primarily served as a shooting guard for the Lady Rams, but had the versatility to fill several roles and defend up and down the court.

“I know Alise is going to be great at Albany Tech and bring them the same energy and athleticism that she brought to us over the years,” Johnson said.

Akridge is incredibly thankful for her time at Newton. She lauded Johnson for helping her develop both as a basketball player and as a person.

“Coach Johnson pushed me. She pushed me real hard," she said. "She basically told me I can do anything I put my mind to, so she helped me grow as a player and as a woman."