Simmons signs with UAPB

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast forward Kayla Simmons will continue her collegiate basketball career at NCAA Division I University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, having signed a scholarship with the Golden Lions.

"I chose to play there because of how Coach (Dawn) Brown explained what she needed me for and how she was going to make me a better player," Simmons said. "She wants to make me a stretch-4 and improve on my shooting and driving to the hole. It's also out of state, and I wanted to get out of state."

Simmons earned All-NJCAA Region 23 honors as a freshman, when she averaged 12.8 points and 9.0 rebounds. She had a career-high 21 points plus 16 rebounds in a win against East Central, and she pulled down 18 rebounds in a loss against Delgado to set her career mark. She also earned All-MACJC South First Team honors.

As a sophomore, she battled back from offseason knee surgery and averaged 8.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists. She was part of a class that turned the Bulldogs around from not having won a single MACJC South game the year before her arrival to trips to the Region 23 Tournament finals and semifinals in back-to-back seasons.

"Getting Kayla Simmons was a big change for our program," Gulf Coast coach Hope Adams said. "In the recruiting process with her, we knew we needed a program-changer. When she decided to commit, we knew we were headed in the right direction with women's basketball at Gulf Coast. She's been a joy to coach. She's a phenomenal player. Going through her surgery, this year she was still able to be a presence knowing she wasn't 100 percent. She's willing to sacrifice, and I thank God she's going to have the opportunity to play the next years knowing everything she's been through physically."

Simmons will play for second-year coach Dawn Brown at UAPB. Brown's squad tripled their Southwest Athletic Conference win total in her first season, and the Golden Lions have a strong recruiting class coming in.

She leaves Perk with more confidence in her abilities.

"It helped me find a way to find myself in basketball," Simmons said. "I learned I can play basketball as well as I've been doing."

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