By Collin Brooks

Correspondent

The Lady Dogs will be getting a late christmas gift but they are still waiting on word as to when they will be able to unwrap it.

That present comes in the form of senior Alexis Bowers, who will be returning to the Lady Bulldogs after transferring back to Hampton from Elizabethton.

But when she will be able to get on the floor is still unknown as Hampton is waiting on word from the TSSAA.

Hampton was forced to get a letter from Elizabethton high school, stating that Bowers didn’t participate in any sports during her time at the school, and get that letter to the governing board.

They emailed the letter too late for approval on Friday, before the Lady Bulldogs game at University High, but are hoping to hear back from the TSSAA soon.

“Normally they reply back in a couple of hours, so she could be eligible for the Elizabethton game on Monday night,” Hampton coach Bud Hazelwood said on Saturday.

Bowers is looking forward to getting back on the floor, not only to play ball but to be with her teammates.

“It feels pretty good because not only did I miss playing basketball, I missed having those girls as friends, because you make friends through basketball,” Bowers said. “So having teammates on and off the court to talk to and help you get thorough problems is pretty awesome.”

It is a team that Bowers is familiar with as she played at Hampton during her freshman, sophomore and junior years before transferring to Elizabethton during the summer. She was ineligible to play there, but during her three seasons at Hampton, she accumulated 973 points and 477 assists.

Numbers like that are sure to add to the potency of the Lady Bulldogs.

“She is an excellent player, one of the smartest that I have been around,” Hazelwood said. “Not only can she play four positions, but she gives us depth because she can come off the bench and give somebody a break.”

Bowers has also accumulated almost 440 steals in her career.

The short break from the game could be the perfect potion for Bowers who was starting to get burnt out on the game. However, her love for the game was rekindled during her time away.

“Now that I have watched people play and haven’t been able to play, I really missed it,” Bowers said. “Now I think that I want to play at the next level, if that’s an option.”

For now though, her focus will be on a familiar place that she hasn’t competed on since the summer.

“I am pretty anxious about being out there and being able to not only make shots, but get other people shots and make sure they make their points,” Bowers said.

For now Bowers will provide the flare from the bench while she gets her game legs back under her, it’s something that she doesn’t mind.

“I figured I wouldn’t be starting immediately and I am okay with that,” she said. “I’d rather be coming off the bench and giving my team a boost than not playing at all.”

Playing time won’t be an issue for the senior but the Bulldogs might have to wait a little while to get the Bowers they know. Although, that is worth wait, according to their coach.

“By the time she gets back into the flow it should be tournament time, so that will help us too,” Hazelwood said.

And that is where she and her teammates have their eyes set on.

“Hopefully we can make a run at state,” Bowers said. “Because that would be pretty awesome to get to state my senior year.”