Shelby Stewart, Alice Lloyd Eagles end season in NCCAA national championship tournament

The all-time leading scorer in the history of the Corbin Lady Hounds basketball program, Shelby Stewart, has continued to impress on the court at the college level. As a freshman at Alice Lloyd College this past season, she played an integral role in the Eagles’ 20-win campaign that included an appearance in the National Christian College Athletic Association’s Mid-East Region championship game and an at-large bid to the 2023 NCCAA Division I National Championship Tournament in Winona Lake, Ind.

Stewart, who ended her varsity career at CHS in 2022 with just under 2,000 points, appeared in every game for the Eagle women in her first year at Alice Lloyd. Before the team’s recent appearance in the NCCAA national championship tourney, she averaged seven points and two rebounds per game. She also did well as a passer and a defender, recording 26 assists and 25 steals.

“It’s been great,” Stewart said when asked about what life has been like since arriving at Alice Lloyd. “I love the campus, and the professors are all so sweet. My studies are going well. I’ve gotten all A’s, and I made the President’s List for the first semester, and hopefully the second as well.”

“With an average of 17.5 hours per semester, it’s been a little difficult balancing my studies with sports,” Stewart added. “But most of the professors are really understanding when it comes to basketball, and they try their best to help catch us up when we get back. It’s also really cool to come into class and have the professors be interested and supportive of how I did, or how the team played.”

In the 2023 NCCAA Division I National Tournament, Stewart and the Eagles secured a big win over Columbia International in the first round, 84-77. They followed that up with an extremely close contest against Oakland City in the tournament semis, but they fell into the loser’s bracket with a 61-60 loss.

In the loser’s bracket, Alice Lloyd had a chance to bring home third place honors, but they were bested by Grace College, 78-64. Stewart logged a solid performance in the Eagles’ season finale, scoring 15 points in the losing effort.

“It was so much fun,” Stewart said of the 2022-23 season. “It’s longer than a high school season, so that took a bit of getting used to, but I loved it. It’s been great to get to experience a college season with these coaches and girls.”

“In the regular season we traveled to schools in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Virginia, and even as far as Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. I feel we had a successful regular season, ending with an 18-7 record. It was amazing to get to experience the conference tournament, and a national tournament as well.”

“The NCCAA tournament was held at Grace College in Indiana,” Stewart explained. “The team stayed in a hotel for a week, had practices at local high schools, and shoot-arounds at Grace College. I got to experience my first national banquet where they presented special awards and recognized junior and senior scholar athletes. One thing that I really liked about the NCCAA tournament was that each team was assigned a community service. My team was assigned to a local nursing home where we were able to spend time with the residents and help them with different things throughout the home. We even met a resident that was an alumni from Alice Lloyd, and he was able to come to our first game with another resident and staff member. “

When asked to compare competing in high school to competing in college, Stewart said, “College is a lot different than high school. It’s not just being on your own and the difference in the classes, but basketball is especially different. Everyone is good. It’s a lot faster, more physical, the courts are bigger, and the shot clock was a little difficult to get used to. I have loved my experience so far, though. One of my biggest worries coming to Alice Lloyd was that I didn’t know anyone, and I was afraid that it would be difficult to join a brand new team, but they were all so amazing and welcomed me immediately.”

As previously mentioned, Stewart was able to come onto the scene and make an immediate impact with the Eagles. When asked about her contributions as a freshman member of the team, she said, “Everyone told me coming in that every freshman will have a rollercoaster first year that may not be very consistent. Even though I feel like I had one of those years, I also think that I helped contribute to our team’s success. I had to learn to play differently than what I was used to, but I think that I made some good progress and managed to end on a good note. There’s always room for improvement, but I am really proud of how I did in my first year.”

For more information on athletics at Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, Ky., visit the program online at www.alicelloydeagles.com. For more information on the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association, visit www.thenccaa.org.