COVINGTON, Ga. — Following an emotional ceremony full of tearful speeches and words of encouragement, Alcovy High School senior Unique Reed signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Carver Bible College on Thursday evening.

“It feels really good to sign,” Reed said. “I’ve been waiting on this for a long time. It was rough, but I finally made it. It was all God.”

When the Lady Tigers’ 2019-20 campaign drew to a close this winter, Reed didn’t believe she’d ever step foot on a basketball court again. She hadn’t planned to pursue a collegiate career, and was initially content with focusing on academics in her next phase of life.

But following a late change of heart, Reed’s coaches began reaching out to see any schools would be interested. The coaching staff at Carver Bible College watched Reed’s film, contact her family and offered her a full-ride athletic scholarship.

“This means a lot,” Reed said. “It’s my dream to play basketball, and I just love playing basketball.”

Alcovy head coach Justin Hunter lauded Reed’s drive and determination to get better each time she picks up a basketball.

“Unique was a player that any coach would like to have,” Hunter said. “First, there’s a passion for the game. When you have a passion for something, everything else will take care of itself.”