Former Dallastown graduate D’Shantae Edwards, Class of 2022, and her team had an opportunity not many could say they had on March 16.

Edwards and her team, the Southern Jaguars, won the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament and got an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.

The goal they had been riding for all season had been accomplished.

“It was my team and I’s goal to punch our ticket and as soon as the buzzer went off it felt like the world stopped just for us,” Edwards said proudly. 

At Dallastown, Edwards was the starting point guard beginning in her freshman year. She helped the Wildcats win a County Championship and was headlined in their District 3 final in that same season.

She was Coach Jay Rexroth’s first girl basketball player that he coached to play in the Divison I NCAA tournament. 

Rexroth is Dallastown’s head varsity girls basketball coach, who coached Edwards all four years of high school basketball.

“She is a fearless competitor, and no situation was ever too big for her,” Jay Rexroth said. 

This continues to be proven. Edwards’s team played one of the hardest out-of-conference schedules in division 1 this year, preparing them for this big moment. 

Edwards, a junior transfer from Bethune Cookman, is one of the five starters for Southern in her first year there.

She brings a big defensive threat to her team, often guarding some of the best players.

“D’Shantae’s defense is her greatest strength…..last season she was in the top five in the nation (all of Division I) in steals,” Rexroth said. 

While this was her first season at Southern, after transferring, she had very high praises for the program.

“What stuck out for me is that every individual currently at Southern and every Alumni bring so much unconditional love to Southern,” Edwards said.

On Wednesday, March 19, they began their tournament in the first four in California against UC San Diego. The outcome was in Southern’s favor, 68-56, allowing them to play number 1 seed UCLA. 

Edwards and her team were able to win Southern’s first-ever game in the tournament in school history against UC San Diego. 

On Friday, March 21, they played UCLA in the first round of the tournament. While the outcome was not in their favor, an 84-46 deficit, Edwards and her team gave it their all.

Edwards contributed 6 points and 2 rebounds in the loss. 

No matter the outcome, Edwards said, “I walked in the game with so much confidence due to the fact we played big-time schools already.”

While no one ever wants to lose, Edwards and her team stood by the same motto all season that made everything possible for them. “All the schools lace their shoes up just as we do.”

Southern’s loss ended their season, but many memories were made throughout their time in the tournament.