Bamberg's Racquel Davis, right, goes to the hoop against Mannheim's Takiara Fowlkes during a game in Mannheim on Jan. 9. Davis scored 19 points in the game. At left are Kadedra Lea of Mannheim and Diandra Quashie of Bamberg. (Michael Abrams / S&S)
BAMBERG, Germany — The Bamberg Lady Barons have a new basketball star who comes in the form of a 6-foot center and goes by the nickname of "Giant" or "Rock" or — as she has been labeled by opposition — "the big girl on the Bamberg team."
Racquel Davis, a senior, is playing her first full season with Bamberg after transferring from a school in Brooklyn, N.Y. Her presence is already being felt in the paint by her DODDS-Europe Division II rivals, something she demonstrated in a span of eight minutes Friday night in Bamberg’s 52-26 victory over Hohenfels.
Davis posted 19 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and two assists before taking a seat in the first quarter. She finished the game with 24 points, 13 rebounds, five steals and seven assists after playing a total of just 15 minutes due to the fact that the Tigers never recovered from the first-quarter onslaught. With the game well out of reach, the Bamberg coaches used the opportunity to give younger players some game time and to play Davis in a different position, working on her perimeter skills.
"She also has an outside game — you don’t see that in a lot of the tall athletes," Bamberg coach Terra McAllister said. "She is well-developed all around. She can move the ball downcourt and no one is stealing it from her."
The coaches have her play on the outside in order to better prepare her for college-level compe-
tition, where her height may no longer be as much a factor.
Though Davis’ goal is to play on the college level, she acknowledges that her "bread and butter" is playing aggressively inside. She has always been the tallest player on her team and she has always played center.
"I’ve always been in the post," she said. "And that’s what I’ve been taught — stay right where those two boxes are and that’s your home. You don’t let anybody in your house to take your food — that’s what my coach said. This is your house, they are going in your kitchen trying to score on you — don’t let that happen."
Davis’ current coaches agree that Davis, 17, is very a knowledgeable player who knows her position and easily displays the moves needed to be successful at her position.
Her statistics this season make it hard to argue otherwise. Davis has been averaging 20 points and 23.3 rebounds a game for the Lady Barons (5-1), including the season-opener against Vilseck in which she was credited with 30 rebounds. All this despite the fact she has sat out large parts of lopsided games.
Not only is Davis an outstanding basketball player, but she was also named all-conference in volleyball this past season and has a 3.6 grade-point average.
Davis came to Germany from New York in order to live with her mother, Lt. Col. Lorraine Harris-Davis, who is stationed in Schweinfurt, and she credits a lot of her motivation to the fact her mom is there able to watch her.
"Having her out in the crowd, and she gives me that thumbs-up and gives me that smile even if I’m not doing good, it helps push me in the game," said Davis. "I feel more confident when she is there."
Harris-Davis, who is also 6 feet tall but has no basketball knowledge to pass on, says she helps her daughter with the mental aspect of the game. "I encourage her to not be fearful and take chances, be careful but take chances," she said.
Davis said that’s the message she lives and plays by.
"Even if I have three fouls, if I know I can go for a steal — I might knock somebody over — I’m going to go for it," she said. "I’m going to be careful later."
