Murphy signs with Oakland Community College

Megan Murphy, one of the best basketball players to ever wear the red and black of the Onaway girls? basketball program, and who helped it rise up from mediocrity only a few years ago, has signed a letter of intent to play women?s college basketball at Oakland Community College in Waterford.

With head coach Marv Allen, family, friends, her high school coach Marty Mix, and her proud parents, John and Michelle Murphy, looking on, she signed documents in the Media Center with lots of smiles showing and pictures being taken.

From being a Cardinal to a Raider, Murphy is looking forward to extending her playing days downstate. She?lll receive a full ride to the school.

?I?M VERY excited, I wanted to play at the next level,? said Muprhy, wearing a jersey coach Allen brought for her to don for the ceremony. While her home games may be more than four hours away, there will be road games right here in northeast lower Michigan as the Raiders play at Alpena Community College and Kirtland Community College in Mio. ?I think what Megan is going to do is provide us with some good leadership on the court,? said Allen. ?I think she can handle the ball real well. She can shoot, we know that.?

Allen was provided tapes of almost all of Murphy?s games. She visited the school May 29 and liked what she saw.

?The girls were nice, the coach is nice,? said Murphy.

?THE THING that we like about her that we?ve seen is that she is a complete team player,? added Allen. ?That is the most important thing to us, as well as her basketball skills.

She is a great student, and when you?re going to college it is very important to be able to deal with academics and athletics.? Murphy doesn?t have to help resurrect a program in the town south of Pontiac, she?ll be asked to help maintain a solid one. The Raiders were 21-9, second in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association, made the state final four and qualified for district play.

?I couldn?t be prouder,? said Marty Mix. ?They are getting the complete package with Megan. I?m sad to see her go, but I?m proud to see her move onto the next level. I look forward to going and watching her play.?

Murphy received all-state special recognition in March. Average. She averaged 14.1 points a game, while pulling down 9.7 rebounds each time she took the court. She finished the season with 310 points, 213 rebounds, 106 steals, 84 assists, and 23 blocks. She also shot 73 percent from the free throw line.