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This Is Tiger Nation: Bria Dorsey

Editor's Note: This story is part of an on-going series that examines the life of Savannah State student-athletes, past and present, and their contributions on and off the field of play. This is a product of the Savannah State Athletics Media Relations Department. **Photos by Adriana Iris Boatwright.

By Joshua R. Peacock (peacockj@savannahstate.edu)

No one chooses the life they are born into. The only choice we are left with is what we do with our lives.

Savannah State senior Bria Dorsey was raised in a rough neighborhood of Atlanta, and faced a mountain of obstacles from the beginning, but she recognized early on that her talents had the potential to help her handle whatever came her way.  

With the support of her mother and grandmother, with whom she split time, Dorsey found a rock of encouragement and a faith to rely on; through her athletic skills, she found an opportunity.  

Dorsey began playing basketball in middle school, and came to realize that the sport she had fallen in love with could be a ticket to a better life.

"At first, athletics was just something to do, to stay active and stay out of trouble," Dorsey said. "I guess, I was blessed with a gift. A lot people were telling me, 'you should do something with that basketball skill.' I just took it to another level, and it got me into school."

Heavily recruited out of high school Dorsey faced yet another obstacle. Her ACT and SAT scores were not high enough to be academically eligible on a NCAA Division I level. Dorsey was left with a single choice, junior college or go back home.

Seizing the opportunity to better her life, Dorsey enrolled at Indian River State Community College in Fort Pierce, Florida. Playing for two years, Dorsey not only saw success on the court, averaging 17.0 points per game in her last year, but also in the classroom.

In her sophomore year at IRSCC, Dorsey became academically eligible to play on a higher level, and the schools came knocking.

Dorsey was given offers from Colorado State, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Alabama State, and Savannah State. In the end, she made her choice based on two key aspects. 

"When it was time for me to pick a school and sign, I ended up picking Coach Baker and Savannah State, because he was always calling me and checking in," Dorsey said. He had been calling me since high school. So, I went back to the person that I knew over the other coaches.

I am three hours away from home," Dorsey continued.  "My family hasn't seen me play in years. My last option was go to Colorado State or Savannah State, and it snows up there! (laughs). I am just blessed and grateful my family can come down and see me play; it just pumps me up. It makes me excited."

Baker's persistence paid off in dividends last year. The 2013-14 women's basketball team was one for the history books.

The 2013-14 Lady Tigers concluded the season with a 19-14 record and a 10-6 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) mark. Both were the best records in the program's Division I era (since 2002-03).

In her first year at Savannah State, Dorsey, at point guard, played in 33 games, averaging 7.2 points per game, and ended the season with a .396 field goal percentage, .505 free-throw percentage, and 3.1 assists per game.

Dorsey was a key part of an offense that averaged 66.2 points per game, was second in the MEAC in field goal percentage (.408), finishing with a .613 free-throw percentage and a 40.2 rebounding percentage.

Savannah State made history in the 2014 MEAC Tournament, garnering wins over Morgan State and Florida A&M. They were the first SSU basketball team to make the semifinals of the MEAC tournament. They lost to four-time MEAC Champions Hampton University, 49-65, after tying with the Lady Pirates at the half.

"It was awesome," Dorsey said of her first year at Savannah State. "I had a good year. We made history. I feel blessed and grateful. We were there. It was 50-50 at halftime. We just let it slip out of our hands. I don't like to dwell on the past. I am very excited about this coming year. I think this is the year we're going to get a ring."

Dorsey enters her senior season this year. She is working on her bachelor's degree in sociology, and currently has a 3.0 GPA. Dorsey made the Fall 2013 Honor Roll with a 3.4 GPA.

After graduation, Dorsey has her sight set on a new goal: to play professional basketball. She has plans of garnering a contract to play overseas in the professional leagues. As a backup plan, Dorsey is looking into military service with the U.S. Air Force or Navy.

In conjunction with her determination and steadfastness, Dorsey has relied on her faith to help her utilize and grow her talents, and improve her overall disposition.

"My grandmother, she was the one that talked to me a lot (about God)," Dorsey said. "She preached to me, saying 'keep faith and keep God in your life.' I try to work around that. I am just blessed, and I am thankful. I am just trying to be one of the kids that make it out, and never go back. I don't want to forget about it, but it was hard, and I don't want to go back there."

For Dorsey, playing basketball is her first love and has been a vehicle for transformation. Despite her beginnings, Dorsey has utilized her skills, coupled with hard work and dedication to achieve her goals.  







 
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