Sports Brief: 9-22-05

Jimerea Lee knew she liked Orlando-based Central Florida University, but being a plane ride from her West Philadelphia home and not knowing much about the campus had it ranked behind fellow Division I schools Syracuse and Marshall.

After spending a day touring Universal Studios Orlando — looking for cute guys and people with bad hairdos — her opinion changed. The boys had nothing to do with it; it was that the university’s women’s basketball team held a scavenger hunt in the park and, by day’s end, Lee and the guards had outscored the post-players.

More importantly, the two-day official visit gave Lee a chance to bond with the team.

"Everyone had a nice personality from the coaches all the way down to the players," she said.

When the 17-year-old returned home Sept. 11, Central Florida had shot to number one.

"I was real excited when I got home," she said. "The school wasn’t at the top of my list, but the visit changed my whole mind frame. The campus wasn’t even close to what I expected."

Lee had initially wanted a school nearby to be closer to her grandparents and mom Sonja Lee. Her cell phone’s handy walkie-talkie feature will surely cure any homesickness.

"[The distance] is not going to be a problem," she said. "The players and coaches made me feel like I was part of their family."

With the all-important college decision made, Lee can now focus on the 2005-06 Catholic League basketball season. This will be her first and only season with the Saints. Lee transferred from Hallahan last fall, but the Philadelphia Catholic League Board of Governors ruled her ineligible to play, stating she was transferred for "athletic intent."

The guard, who averaged 15 points per game as a sophomore, finally played with the team in last month’s National Youth Basketball Championships in Las Vegas. The team finished fifth out of 28. For the tournament, Lee averaged 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

But it’s the Catholic League title she covets.

"The first day of school I said I can’t wait for the season to start," Lee said. "I think Cardinal O’Hara is going to be our biggest opposition."