Mekhia Chase Brings True Grit To North Texas
The rebound-grabbing shooting guard embraces the Sun Belt
Summary
- Mekhia Chase, a tough second-team NJCAA All-American, is known for her relentless defense, hustle, and ability to turn steals into scoring opportunities.
- She was the first Raider to commit to a new school, choosing North Texas where she fits perfectly in a rising Sun Belt program .
"That's a hustle player that I will always want on my team."
Mekhia Chase is tough. The second team NJCAA All-American has grit as the first words on her lips, regardless of context. Chase played shooting guard next to Scott, combining hard physicality with smooth creation.
“Mekhia, she's the type of player that plays off her defense as well. So she’ll get a steal or two, get a layup. Now she’s hype, she's gonna make her next shot,” said Scott, “So this player, if I see her getting busy, okay, get the ball [to her].”
Chase was the first on the team to commit to a new school, settling on North Texas in the Sun Belt. It’s a program on the rise, sporting three double-figure scorers from last season. Chase held interest from a few other schools, but North Texas was instantly the place she felt most comfortable.
“She's gonna be straight. She works hard, she does the little things, she dives on the floor. That's a hustle player that I will always want on my team,” said McBride. “She can hustle and she just got it in her, like she has something to lose.”
Chase’s defense will get her on the floor first, averaging 1.7 steals per game while turning defense into offense. Despite not being a natural point guard, Chase takes care of the ball extremely well. She held the best assist-to-turnover ratio of any NWF player this season at 2.1/1.
“I always hated to have Mekhia against me on the opposing team when we were scrimmaging. ‘Cause, dang, she's gonna get every rebound,” said McBride. “She is one of those ones that can body you.”
Chase has a new home that will value her toughness, where she can scale down as a gritty role player and scale up as a flamethrowing bucket-getter. In a SunBelt conference filled with former teammates, Chase has as good a chance as any to carve a clear role this season.
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