Science Hill High School

Alisha  Dill

Alisha Dill 2003

After recording one of the better careers in Lady Toppers basketball, Alisha Dill became one of the top scorers in the nation. The 5-foot-8 wing went to Myrtle Beach to play for former East Tennessee State men's coach Alan LeForce in 2003, and steadily became one of the best players in the country. Dill finished tied for fifth in the nation at 22.5 points per game as a senior in 2006-07, and her 652 points that season were a Coastal Carolina record. Dill also led LeForce’s team in steals, blocked shots and assists during an 18-win season, which matched the 1999-2000 team for the program’s best since it joined Division I. One of those victories was a 58-33 defeat of Campbell on a night when Dill matched the Camels’ 33 points. She was named the Big South Conference Player of the Year. LeForce thought Dill (he calls her "Pickle") would be a solid player, but didn't anticipate the type of dominance he was importing from his old stomping grounds when he signed her. "No, not really," LeForce said. "I knew Pickle would be a good player, but she kept improving and our needs changed. We needed her to be a scorer as a senior, and boy was she. She could shoot the three or put it on the floor and take it to the basket or pull up and hit jumpers. I wish I had her now." Dill took issue with being left off all of the Big South preseason teams before her senior year. "I always worked but I worked really hard that (offseason)," Dill said. "I don't think I got picked for anything going into my senior year. That was good motivation." Dill began her prep career playing for Greg Goulds, and later played for Brenda Evans. "I think we went undefeated in seventh grade and I remember Coach Goulds telling me, 'If you work hard and don't get into drugs or anything, you'll be a great basketball player. Coach Evans also saw my potential. She always pushed me to strive to reach my goals." The accomplishments began accumulating early. Dill, a freshman, guarded Tennessee High senior Courtney McDaniel, who went on to play for Pat Summitt, during a memorable upset in Freedom Hall. "We got behind by a lot of points and Courtney was the big-time player headed for Tennessee," Dill said. "But we came back and won. It was fun soaking it all in after the game. … "I remember Coach Goulds was all excited before the game saying, ‘You’re going to guard (McDaniel) and you’re going to stop her.'" Another favorite was an overtime victory against Sullivan East when Katie O'Dell was there. "I think it was in double overtime in The Palace," Dill said. "East was really good and nobody could stop (O'Dell), which I'm sure she still ended up having a good game. I played against her in college (High Point). She was a good player and a good person." Dill played three months in the Canary Islands in the fall of 2007. She liked the food and the people, but the language barrier and a more physical game were two of many reasons she hasn't returned. "It was culture shock," she said. "Basically, I cried my first month there." Dill is finishing her degree in disciplinary studies and working at a rec center in Conway, S.C. Ultimately, she wants to open centers for at-risk children and teenage moms. “Kids kind of flock to me,” Dill said. “I want to help make a difference in some lives. … My mom didn’t make me do anything, but she was always behind me 100 percent.”