Avrey Alberson dreamed of playing college basketball from the moment she first stepped on a court. Four years and one state championship later, that dream has become reality.
The McAlester High School senior signed her National Letter of Intent on May 9 to play at Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville.
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“It’s been my dream since I was little to go and play college basketball, and I’ve had a whole support system behind me this whole time,” Alberson said.
Alberson, a member of the Lady Buffaloes’ 2022 state championship team, had eyed OKWU since her freshman year. She continued to stay in contact with the school and said when she stepped on campus, she knew it was where she wanted to be.
“It was kind of off and on, talking to them, but I went on a visit and when I was there, it kind of felt like home,” Alberson said. “I know a bunch of people up in Bartlesville, so it was just a great environment.”
McAlester experienced adversity and growing pains this season and went 8-13. However, through it all, Alberson said she is grateful for her time as a Lady Buffalo and encourages her teammates to leave the program better than they found it.
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“I think this program is very strong and I think Coach Beshears is doing a great job at rebuilding after we lost a coach and a few players,” Alberson said. “I think that I would just say that this program is resilient; it always comes through.”
This season, Alberson played in all 21 games, averaging 5.2 points and three rebounds per game. She also had a career-high 12 points in a 41-40 win over Tahlequah on Feb. 15.
Alberson said she is proud of her and her team’s perseverance over her high school career. She hopes to inspire her teammates to remain strong and work hard.
“I would say, keep pushing,” Alberson said. “It was hard to continue after some of the things that happened to us during the season and during my four years here, but I would just say keep pushing and keep working hard.”
