ORANGE PARK - St. Johns Country Day School girls basketball ace shooter Mary Kate Kent, now a sophomore at Newberry College in the NCAA Division II ranks, stopped by Orange Park High over the holiday to watch the present-day Lady Spartans compete in the Lady Raiders Girls Basketball Invitational.

"I found that the speed of the game is a lot faster at the college level," said Kent, studying exercise science ("All "A" grades) at Newberry and also a hot shooting guard for the Wolves. "I went down there as a solid shooting guard that plays good defense and kept my players around me informed on the court. I think I'm doing that at the college level as well."

Also from St. Johns girls basketball, both under the tutelage of former coach Yolando Bronston with Kent a senior year under present coach Tyler Miller, is all stater Taliah Scott, now a top scorer at NCAA Division I Baylor University. Scott has moved from Arkansas State as a lead scorer there, then Auburn and now Baylor where the Lady Bears sit at 11-2 for their season.

Scott's incredible career spanning from a Gatorade Florida Player of the Year in a Final Four finish for the Spartans, has included a bucket load of Southeastern Conference Freshman Player of the Week honors at Arkansas State, then a 20 points in only three games average at Auburn with one game an eighth three-point finish. Scott is now rocking the court at Baylor with 12 starts in 13 games and a 20.5 points per game average with a 33 of 84 three-point curve (39 percent).

Baylor is currently ranked 15th in NCAA Division I.

"To get to play next to a nationally ranked player like Taliah was a blessing because I got to see what the next level was going to look like," said Kent, who was playing for St. Johns as a sixth grader. "She was obviously the star of the show and my role was to balance her out. I found my role and did it to the best of my ability."

For Kate Kent, the transition to Newberry College is now at 8-3 overall as the Wolves target a South Athletic Conference slate of upcoming games. Newberry was a dismal 6-22 last year.

"Our coach was in her first year and inherited a bad program," Kent said. "She has turned the program around and the team is made up of a lot of sophomore players which is good for the future of the program."

Kent has had point totals of 27 points with six threes in a Dec. 13 79-66 win over Emory & Henry and a team leading 19 points with five threes in a 62-49 win over Anderson University on Dec. 17.

"I'm the shooting guard for the team that takes the shots and our point guard Rickell Brown, also a sophomore, controlling the game," Kent said. "I'm shooting 42 percent on the threes."

Kent has three games with five or more threes—one with six with the 27 points against Emory & Henry her top total thus far.

"I think my shooting has become superior for the team, but I also think I'm doing all the little things and try to be a good energy source for the team," Kent said. "Our team is sophomore dominant and that's a good thing."

Newberry opened with six wins before a 75-60 loss to Mars Hill University on Dec. 3.

"We're ranked in SAC at number five of the 14 teams," Kent said. "Coker is the only nationally ranked team out of the conference."

Coker is at 10-1 with Lincoln Memorial at 9-1 and Carson Newman at 8-3 just above Newberry with Newberry facing all three teams in January. Coker will be on Jan. 28 at home.

Baylor, ranked 22nd in NCAA Division I, is currently 11-3 with a Big 12 loss to undefeated No. 21 Texas Tech, 61-60 on Dec. 21 with Tech outscoring the Bears 22-17 in the fourth quarter. Scott had a high game of 32 points against Iowa on Nov. 20 with her 20.8 average with a 10-assist game on Dec. 3 against Southeastern Louisiana.

Baylor traveled to Oklahoma State on Dec. 31, then has dates with 10th ranked Iowa State, Kansas, Utah and Brigham Young.

OHS Turner at Temple

At Temple University, former Oakleaf High defensive wizard Kaylah Turner is now a 17.8 points per game guard for the 6-6 Owls. Turner scored a game high 36 points on Dec. 22 in an 87-77 loss to No. 25 Princeton with eight three pointers.
Turner, who transferred from Alabama A & T in 2024, left as a Southwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year after a stellar high school career at Oakleaf High under coach Fred Cole. Cole also coached Scott with Turner for Scott's junior season.

As a sophomore, Turner has earned an American Athletic Conference (AAC) Sixth Player of the Year award and a selection on the AAC All-New Comer team.
On Dec. 15, Turner earned AAC Honorable Mention and Big 5 Player of the Week honors for a 29-point game against Virginia Commonwealth University.