SENATOBIA - Just one day ahead of commencement ceremonies at Northwest, three women's basketball sophomores are leaving school with more than just a diploma.

Guards McKenzie Amos and Kae'la Mitchell joined teammate Angela Middleton in formally signing with Lane College on Thursday morning. The trio are collectively the first next-level signees from the 2023-24 squad, though more are expected.

"I am so proud of these student-athletes," Northwest head coach LaTaryl Williams said. "Coach Surina Dixon and I are close, and I know that she is going to pick up not only three outstanding athletes, but outstanding people as well."

Mitchell, a two-year veteran on the Lady Rangers' squad concludes her career after averaging 9.6 points per game, with 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. The Little Rock native also compiled 66 steals during her two seasons in Senatobia, including a career-high of six against East Mississippi on January 25.

Mitchell was also a prolific scorer during her time at Northwest, recording 14 games in double figures. Her career-high came in a 27-point effort at Mississippi Delta on February 5.

"When I got the job here, Kae'la was already on the roster, so it took some time for us to figure each other out," Williams said, on Mitchell. "One thing I quickly realized is that she was a gamer, someone who really cares about the game of basketball and practically lives in the gym. She continued to improve from her freshman to sophomore seasons, and she deserves this opportunity to play at the next level."

Amos arrived at Northwest after spending her freshman campaign at Southwest Mississippi, but the Hattiesburg native played a vital role off the bench for the Lady Rangers this season. She played in 19 games this season, earning her lone start on January 6 at Dyersburg State, averaging 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 points per game. Her career-best outing came in the same game at Dyersburg State, where she compiled 10 points and seven rebounds.

"She played for a really good program at Southwest Mississippi, so I knew she had the mindset and skillset to play in our league," Williams said, on Amos. "She showed that right away and was very versatile on both ends of the court. She is someone who can guard multiple positions on the defensive end, and can also play all three positions on the perimeter. Her versatility was vital to our success and I can see her doing the same thing at Lane."

Like Amos, Middleton also transferred in after two seasons at East Central. The Pontotoc native played for Williams during the 2021-22 season at ECCC, before redshirting her sophomore season. Middleton started in 26 games for the Lady Rangers, averaging 5.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, which included four double-digit scoring games.

Two of Middleton's most notable performances of the season came in a November 13 non-conference game against Holmes and in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament opener against Meridian. Against Holmes, Middleton notched her season-high of 14 points with six rebounds, while also tallying 13 points and seven rebounds against the Lady Eagles.

Middleton also totaled 32 steals on the season, racking up a season-best of five in an early-season victory at Arkansas State Mid-South.

"I originally recruited her while at East Central," Williams said, regarding Middleton. "She is someone that I feel close to on a personal level, beyond basketball. I watched her develop her game in high school and this is a proud moment for me to see her get a chance to continue at the four-year level. I have been coaching in this league for 12 years and I can say by far, that she is the toughest player I have coached. She gets after it on defense and she can hurt you on offense as well. It gives me a sense of pride to see her overcome injuries and transferring to different schools, and getting a chance to play at the next level."

Two more of Williams' players, Zaria Glover and Marian Jenkins, are also expected to sign in the coming months. 

As an NCAA Division III institution, Lane College competes in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). The Lady Dragons finished 13-14 overall last season, earning an 11-8 record in conference play.