By Mark H. Stowers

MDCC Hall of Fame Inductee Lesia Duncan

From 1983 to 1985, Rosedale native, Lesia Duncan helped lead the Lady Trojan basketball and softball teams achieve success. Following in her older sister, Cathy Duncan Webb, athletic footsteps, she was part of Coach Buddy Walden's Lady Trojan teams.

The third baseman/shortstop was an All-State Player in both 1984 and 1985. On the basketball court, Duncan was All-State in both 1984 and 1985. She was also selected to the All Star Game in basketball.

Coach Buddy Walden was Duncan's hardwood and diamond coach. But he was more than just a coach to his players.

"It was great, he's a good guy. He helped me out a lot. He gave me a lot of insight not just on basketball but on life," Duncan said.

Coach Walden noted she was "an outstanding basketball player. She was my leading scorer and made First Team All-North Division, led our team in scoring and could play guard or forward and could guard just about any position. She averaged about 20-plus points a game. She was good enough to go play at Delta State. I don't know why Lloyd Clark didn't take her."

But on the practice court, Coach Walden "sculpted" his team both mentally and physically.

"Suicides (running drills) – I used to hate those," Duncan said laughing. "We used to do those a lot especially if we missed free throws. I wasn't that good at free throws my freshman year but I got much better my sophomore year. We would end practice and Coach Walden would say if one of us made a free throw, we didn't have to run. Of course, I missed them a few times and we had to run."

She noted that the upperclassmen pushed her to realize her potential on the court.

"One of the things about practice our freshmen year, my sister pushed me a lot and told me I needed to be assertive with my game because she knew I could play better and play harder," Duncan said. "Pam Crockett pushed me a lot too. She was a sophomore. Not that I was shy with my game but a lot of times I'd pass up a shot. They used to get on me a lot about that."

On the softball field, Duncan remembered a particular at-bat.

"I struck out and I turned and said to the umpire, 'Come on, man, give me a break.' And he said, 'You get your breaks in Hollywood.' He called me out, but I didn't strike out. I thought it was a ball but we were playing away and there was a little bit of home cooking."

Coach Walden said, "She was a good softball player. She was just a good athlete. Playing third and shortstop, she was probably my best player. She loved to play the game and was such a pleasant person. I am so proud of her being inducted."

While at Moorhead, Duncan's favorite teacher was Doc (Allen) Snowden.

"He used to ride me a lot because I was an athlete and he liked basketball. He would stay on me about making sure I did what I was supposed to be doing and if I didn't, he'd tell Coach Walden. You were either going to hit the books or you weren't going to play ball," Duncan said.

She would take those basketball talents onto Mississippi University for Women where she was awarded Most Improved Player.

"It was a great experience. Pam Crockett went there the year before so she helped me get a scholarship to go play at the W," she said. "I majored in Social Work but they called it Family Human Development back then."

Originally, Duncan wanted to play at Delta State University for Head Coach Lloyd Clark but while at MUW, she competed against Lady Statesmen legend Bernadette McDonald who later coached at MDCC.

"I really wanted to go to Delta State but that didn't happen. I always had a great showing when I would play there. My family was there and I wanted to show Lloyd Clark what he missed out on," she said. "Bernadette (McDonald – former MDCC Lady Trojan Coach and Senior Women's Administrator) was at Delta State when I was at the W and we would run back down the court saying to each other, 'good shot, good shot. Good one, good one.' She was a baller."

Duncan didn't finish her degree at The W but tried her handing at coaching. Her post-athletic career included coaching at Pearl River Community College while attending the University of Southern Mississippi. She moved north to work in Nantucket before coming back south to Memphis to graduate from the University of Memphis in 2005. She now lives and works in Knoxville with the Department of Human Services.