Freshman Peterson Helping Lady Sharks Rebound On The Court
The Miami Dade College women’s basketball team is trying to rebound from a 24-loss season that included six defeats by at least 28 points.
After a strong 5-2 start, the Lady Sharks are vindicating themselves on the court.
A big part of that redemption has been the play of forward/center Cleaira Peterson.
The 19-year-old freshman from Detroit Michigan leads the Lady Sharks with 11.7 rebounds per game; she is second on the squad with a 17.9 scoring average and a 56.7 shooting percentage.
“She is a threat in the paint,” said Lady Sharks guard Jazmyne Bynum. “If our intensity is low, she [says] something and [tells] us to pick it up. She loves to be a vocal leader and finish the game with a lot of energy.”
That intensity has made Peterson into a double-double machine.
She scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a 72-58 loss to South Georgia Technical College on Nov. 1. Peterson followed that performance with 28 points and 12 rebounds in a 101-87 win against Western Wyoming Community College at the Florida SouthWestern Classic in Fort Myers on Nov. 16.
“She’s proud to be a Shark, and the impact she’s had on the team has been tremendous,” said Lady Sharks Head Basketball Coach Susan Summons. “She brings a high motor and IQ to the game and shows strong leadership on the floor.”
Peterson started playing basketball in the seventh grade at Harper Woods Middle School in Detroit.
“I started playing basketball because everybody used to tell me ‘you’re so tall, you should try it out’,” Peterson said. “I tried it out and the rest is history.”
The frontcourt star played three years at Harper Woods High School, leading that squad to a 12-8 record as a junior. That offseason, she continued sharpening her skills for the 1 Nation AAU team before playing her senior season at Samuel C. Mumford High School.
Peterson’s transition to Miami has been a smooth one. It has been supported by the guidance of Summons, who has a penchant for fostering tight-knight environments.
“At the beginning of the season, it was hard because we had people from all over,” Peterson said. “Having coach Summons there to talk us through [it] and help us and [give us] input on what to do helped a lot.”
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