As Lions’ blue-collar player, Marylane Graham brings intensity to court

In a hallway outside the gym following a tough loss, Briarwood Christian School girls basketball head coach Lorie Kerley flashed a smile when asked about point guard Marylane Graham, who played despite not being at full health. 

“That’s just who she is,” Kerley said.

Taking a look at the scorebook, Graham didn’t even register a point in the contest, but her coach was more than pleased with how she played.

“Marylane is our blue-collar player,” Kerley said. “She loves to cause chaos defensively. She’s just a hard-nosed player.”

Graham, a senior, has never been a scoring machine on the offensive end, where most players earn their notoriety with their ability to put the ball in the hoop. She embraces the opposite side of the floor, where she prevents opponents from doing just that.

“I just like playing defense,” she said. “I’m not the best offensive player but I like making it up by playing my hardest and scrapping. I’m not afraid to dive. I have bruises all over my knees.”

It’s often easy to see what makes a solid offensive player. The ability to create space and make open shots allows scorers to thrive. It’s not always as easy to pinpoint the characteristics of a strong defender. 

Graham said it’s all about not relaxing on defense, as is sometimes easy to do.

“She’s just got something you can’t teach,” Kerley said. “You can’t teach somebody how to recklessly dive on the floor after the ball.”

Graham hasn’t changed a bit since she began playing basketball in elementary school.

“I coached her in junior high, and she was the exact same way,” Kerley said. “She was born that way. That’s the way God made her. She’s intense and fierce.”

This winter, Graham is one of three seniors — along with Jalen Hunter and Holly Hancock — on a team with several underclassmen being asked to contribute. She said the biggest lesson she learned from past seniors such as Sophie Muir-Taylor, Lauren Smith, Morgan Hutchinson, Anna Donohue and others was how to respect her teammates, even ones multiple years younger.

Kerley said: “One of my favorite things about her this year is watching her take the younger girls in and take care of them and love on them. She’s a good senior leader.”

It’s Kerley’s first season leading the Lady Lions program. She took over in the spring for longtime coach Jim Brown, who passed away a few months later. In his memory, the team is donning a patch with the initials “CB,” for Coach Brown.

“I miss him, but having him here [on my jersey], I can play my game. I try to play for him and make him happy,” Graham said.

One thing that’s not uncommon to see at Briarwood is student-athletes who participate in multiple sports. 

But Graham’s combination of activities is not one that is seen every day. Outside of being the starting point guard, she is also a varsity cheerleader at the school. 

When told that is a unique blend, she said, “I get that all the time.”

Following her high school days, Graham is heading to Auburn. But before she gets to the Plains, there’s still business to be done on the hardwood.

“I just want us to play our hardest,” she said. “Every game, coach tells us we’re going to get better. We have a tough area. I just want us to get better every game and go as far as we can.”

Briarwood will attempt to qualify for the Class 5A sub-regional tournament for the second straight year. The Lady Lions will need to be one of the top two teams in the Area 8 tournament, set to be played the week of Feb. 4.