DEANA EPPS

It’s your very rst time going to a high school basketball game.

You wonder what it’ll be like since everyone’s much taller and older in high school.

You ask a friend to go with you because your nervous to sit alone.

e game starts at 6:30pm, so you arrive at 6:15pm, een minutes early just to be safe.

You have your tickets scanned at the entrance since tickets are sold online now due to COVID.

You notice the concession stand is open so you go to get a sprite and a hot dog with only ketchup because you haven’t eaten anything since lunch.

You and your friend sit in the middle section of bleachers towards the half court line.

You sat at the h row, not too close to the court but not to far away either, just the right view.

e game is nished before you know it with the Terriers winning once again.

You begin to see some people leave but also notice some stay at’s when the Lady Terriers come out.

You and your friend come to the realization that the games are both the boys and girls teams that play.

You quickly text your mom to ask to stay a little bit longer and she agrees.

As the game begins you quickly notice number 10, your not sure what her name is so you look it up on Maxpreps to nd out.

Deana Epps, that’s her name.

As the game continues you witness her make two 3 pointers back to back, everyone in the gymnasium goes wild screaming, “Go Dede!”. “Dede?” You whisper to yourself.

Dede is a junior and has been on Hillsborough’s girls varsity basketball team since her freshman year. And this school year she has set the ultimate goal for herself.

She will score her 1,000th point in basketball before the end of the season.

And she did exactly that.

Epps’s goal is one many don’t accomplish till their senior year, that’s if they accomplish it.

She did it at the Hillsborough vs Freedom game on January 17th.

Growing up, Epps had many inspirations, she stated “Well at rst my sister started playing basketball rst, so I wanted to play so I can get better than her. And then the coaches and my teammates just motivate me to keep playing.”

When asked who are her favorite players she replied, “On the womens side it’s Maya Moore, on the mens side, I have to give it to Kevin Durant.”

Epps expressed that her favorite basketball team is e Nets.

Epps was in the third grade when she truly developed a passion for playing basketball.

She began to notice while in middle school how good she truly was at playing basketball.

In high school Epps talents in basketball continued to grow.

During her freshman year she made second team all district.

In her sophomore year she made rst team all district.

Epps has the medal to prove it.

During Epps sophomore year she also scored 39 points in a single game against Wiregrass high school.

Epps is an extremely talented athlete and it will be great to see how she progresses as a player in college.

Epps aspires to make it to the