#23 Minta Spears

HONORS:

2016-17 SEC Community Service Team
2016-17 Allstate GoodWorks nominee
2016-17 WInter SEC Academic Honor Roll

YEAR: Graduate school / Leadership & Organizational Performance

FINAL CAREER NUMBERS & HIGHLIGHTS: Played in 49 games, including making 43 starts, in two seasons with the Commodores after joining the program as a grad student. … Recovered from knee surgery to produce a fine senior season that included 41 assists and only 16 turnovers in the final 13 games. … Led the team and ranked ninth in the SEC in minutes played as a junior, averaging 32.8 minutes per game. … Was the team leader in both total assists (127) and assists per game (4.0) as a junior for the Commodores.

2016-17 (RS-Senior): Missed most of the the first two months of the season while recovering from knee surgery. … Returned to action on Jan. 15 and played in the last 13 games of the season, and was in the starting lineup for the final 12 games. … Had 41 assists and just 16 turnovers after returning to the lineup. … Averaged 4.1 points and 2.6 assists for the season, seeing action in 17 games. … Had seven points, four rebounds and one assist in the loss to Alabama in the first round of the SEC Tournament. … Scored a season-high 13 points and pulled down a career-high nine rebounds while playing all 40 minutes in the loss to LSU on Feb. 26. … Had four points, three rebounds in two assists on Senior Night in the win over Arkansas on Feb. 23. … Contributed a season-high 10 points and three rebounds in loss to South Carolina on Feb. 15. … Scored nine points and matched season high with seven assists in the win over LSU on Feb. 13. … Had one point and a season-high seven assists in the loss to Tennessee on Jan. 22. … Was in the starting lineup for the first time and played a season-high 29 minutes, finishing with seven points, three rebounds and three assists in the loss to Arkansas on Jan. 19. … Saw little action from mid-November to early January while recovering from knee surgery.

2015-16 (RS Junior): Was accepted into grad school at Vanderbilt after transferring from Texas Tech and joined the Commodore WBB program in May of 2015. … Produced an outstanding junior season, seeing action in 32 games, including 31 starts. … Led the team and ranked ninth in the SEC in minutes played, averaging 32.8 minutes per game. … Was the team leader in both total assists (127) and assists per game (4.0). … Compiled 32 total steals, which ranked second on the team. … Averaged 13.8 points per game over the final four games of the season, reaching double figures in three of those contests. … Notched four of more assists in 18 games. … Dished out 14 assists in win over Austin Peay on Nov. 23. … Scored 17 points, including converting three consecutive free throws with less than one second remaining in regulation, to pave the way for an overtime victory over Georgia in the second round of the SEC Tournament. … Scored a season-high 19 points, going 7-of-10 from the floor, in road win over Missouri on Feb. 28.

AT TEXAS TECH:
Played in 62 career games, including making 51 starts, over two seasons at Texas Tech, where she averaged 7.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. … Was an Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree. … Saw action in 31 games, including making 21 starts, during 2014-15 season while averaging 6.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. … Compiled 82 career 3-pointers, and shot 35 percent from 3-point range last season. …. Was one of only two players to start all 30 games for Texas Tech in 2013-14. … Reached double figures in 12 games, including scoring a career-high 25 points against Arizona State. … Suffered a torn ACL in her freshman campaign and was sidelined the rest of the season after seeing action in one game.

HIGH SCHOOL (BULLARD HIGH):
Compiled 2,879 points, 375 three-pointers, 776 assists and 475 rebounds — all of which were school records — during her career. … Was a four-time District MVP and three-time All-State Selection. … As a senior, she averaged 33.7 points per game and was a Parade Magazine All-American.

SPEARS CAREER HIGHS: AT VANDERBILT

Points: 19 (vs. Missouri 2/28/16)
Rebounds: 9 (vs. LSU 2/26/17)
Assists: 14 (vs. Austin Peay, 11/27/15)
3FG Made: 3 (3x)  
Blocks: 1 (9x)
Steals: 5 (vs. Troy 12/10/15)
Minutes: 45 (vs. Georgia 3/3/16)