South Florida Jaguars Headed North To FILA Nationals



Lehigh coach Sue Troyan has picked up a commitment from South Florida Jaguar Bernadette Devaney.

The South Florida Jaguars may not have an impressive “getting off the bus” look, but they make up for their lack of size with a whole lot of heart.

“We’re excited about the summer. It’s always a fun time,” noted Jason Hively, who coaches the Jaguars along with Tony Hill. “Our team doesn’t look like too much, but you can’t judge this team by the way they look. They work well together, and they play extremely hard.”

That determination will be on display at the upcoming FILA Nationals. The event, which will include over 100 national teams, will be played at the Suwanee Sports Academy outside of Atlanta from July 6-8. This is one part of a series of previews for the FILA Nationals where we will highlight the outstanding programs who will be competing.

The Jaguars will be led by a trio of 5-8 perimeter players from the Class of 2014. Bernadette Devaney has already committed to Lehigh, and she is joined by Trellanie English-Lurry and G’Neesha Johnson.
“Bernadette is a knock down shooter. She does a lot more, but she is known as the one who sticks a dagger in your heart,” Hively said. “She has been working on her game six or seven days a week — in the gym, in the weight room, and doing cross fit — and she has taken her game to the next level.
“Trellanie is our No. 1 defender. She is also very good at creating her own shot. She can get to the hole, and she has a nice pull up jumper. She has a very quick release on her jump shot.
“G’Neesha is our point guard. She can break a defense down and she has excellent court vision. G’Neesha knows how to get everyone involved, which is important to our team.”
Kiani Lurry is also important to the Jaguars. Lurry is a 5-9 wing who is from the Class of 2015.
“Kiani is a strong left-handed player with a very, very bright future,” Hively said. “The first thing you notice about Kiani is how hard she plays. She is just a relentless competitor, and she is getting a lot of attention from the college coaches.”