By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Kentucky has certainly been a gold mine for the Tennessee Tech women's basketball team in recent years. One only has to look to Jordan Brock and Mackenzie Coleman on the current roster to see that.
But the Golden Eagles are weaving another piece of bluegrass into the Purple and Gold tapestry, adding Scott County's Maaliya Owens to its signing class on Wednesday.
The 5-9 guard's numbers are incredible – averaging 15.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, three steals and three assists per game. In her stellar career, she has scored 1,670 points and still has the 2018-19 campaign to go in her prep career.
"Maaliya Owens is a dynamic scorer," said Tech head coach Kim Rosamond. "This young woman can flat-out score the basketball. She is an outstanding shooter, but she can also score off the bounce as well as create for her teammates. As good as she is offensively, she can impact the game on the defensive end with her ability to guard the basketball. Maaliya's all-around game will be a welcome addition to our program."
Owens was selected three times to the all-district and all-region team, reached the 1,000-point mark as a sophomore, and was selected as a Kentucky Junior and Battle of the Bridges All-Star. She was named the MVP of the Ironton Shootout as she broke the tournament's scoring record, was named to the Toyota Classic All-Tournament team twice and three times the event's defensive player of the game.
She was ranked as the No. 7 senior in Kentucky by Rick Bolus' projections and was listed at No. 6 by TYB Hoop Report.
As a junior, she helped lead Scott County to a 31-3 record and a state tournament appearance.
"Maaliya Owens is the best guard in the state of Kentucky, in my opinion," said Scott County head coach Steve Helton. "Maaliya is an incredible young lady on and off the court and has a drive to be the best. She is a student of the game that has put in the time to improve throughout her career. A cornerstone in our program for six years, Maaliya has competed at a high level against some of the best competition in the country. I'm excited for the Tennessee Tech family to be getting Maaliya, as well as watching her grow in her collegiate experience."
Maaliya shaped her game early in her career playing under coach Daniel Price and the OverTime Performance travel team. In her final summer of competition, she competed on the Nike National EYBL circuit with Kentucky Premier and coach Trent Milby.
Tennessee Tech was a perfect fit for Owens.
"As the process moved towards a decision," she said, "I felt strongly that's where God was guiding me. I already had a strong relationship with the coaches and some of the players, then I realized how strong their dental program is. They're also a team who values serving. Having family members in the state, it gave me a lot of peace choosing Tennessee Tech for my college experience.
"To be able to learn from a former Southeastern Conference player and coach, while being part of a team that is dedicated to serving the community is good for me to continue developing as a player, student and personally."
Not only is Owens a standout on the court, she's also built an impressive resume off the court in the classroom and in the community. Owens is a member of the Beta Club, the French Club, the Key Club, National Honor Society, was a Title IX Committee student representative, and was a selection to the 2018 Kentucky High School Athletic Association Student Leadership Conference.
In the realm of community service, Owens has also been a hard worker. She volunteered with Jesus Prom, Serve the City and Hope for Haiti meal packing, was a student leader for Southland Students and on the serve team for BLOC Ministries, an advanced math tutor and a volunteer summer camp counselor.
"Maaliya represents everything our S.O.A.R. culture stands for," Rosamond said, "and she is constantly serving others and giving back. An outstanding student who wants excellence in everything she does, Maaliya will have a huge impact on and off the court in Cookeville."
