Sada Wheeler was in the crowd when the East Hall girls put forth a dominant second half to secure the Lanierland tournament title on Dec. 22.

Wheeler, a former Lady Viking and current member of the Piedmont College women’s basketball team, was on the 2006-07 East Hall team that won the tournament and, later that season, the state championship in Class AA.

“It’s really exciting,” Wheeler said of Lanierland. “I love it. There are great fans, everyone’s excited. It’s just cool to sit back, watch this team and realize you were a part of it too.”

It’s an experience she can have now that she is close to home again.

After graduating from East Hall, Wheeler went on to play basketball at the University of South Carolina. It took her six games to decide that wasn’t where she wanted to be.

“There was a lot behind the move,” Wheeler said. “Piedmont was smaller and closer, and the transition over there (South Carolina) was just kind of hard.”

Since the move, Wheeler has played in 56 games over three seasons, averaging 12.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and three blocks in each contest for the Lady Lions.

This year, she has led the team to a perfect 10-0 record, averaging a team-high 15.5 points and 13.8 rebounds per game.

“My coach has been my motivation,” Wheeler said of her season. “She said she thought I could make (Division III) All-American, and that’s a huge motivation. I can’t do that if I don’t keep working at it. And our record — I knew we’d be good, but I didn’t know we’d be 10-0. It’s a great feeling, and it motivates me even more.”

One of the keys to the team’s success is how much opponents have to account for Wheeler.

With an imposing presence in the paint, the 6-foot-3 Wheeler is dominant on both sides of the ball, snagging rebounds and blocking shots. The mere possibility of her swatting a potential scorer’s shot away can change how the opponent plays the game.

East Hall coach Joey Rider, who coached Wheeler in her final season with the team, noted her interior dominance as one of the biggest aspects of her game.

“When you’ve got someone like that, it just changes how everyone plays the game,” he said. “Not only is she getting points on offense and blocks on defense, but she is impacting other players on both sides of the ball because of her presence.”

Wheeler noted the same thing was true the other way around — that the presence of strong shooters on her team has opened the inside up for her to be successful.

“A lot of people have to change the defense,” she said. “It’s a big advantage to have shooters on the team. Pretty much, if I can score, I’ll score. If I can’t, I’ll give it up. They find me, and I find them.”

Rider said that’s a major reason of why she’s such a great player to have on a team.

“She’ll just do everything for you,” he said. “She’s a great teammate, above just being a great player. I only had her for one year, but I really enjoyed coaching her.”

As a result of her transfer, Wheeler said her family is there to see almost every shot, block and rebound.

“They’re at almost every game,” she said. “It’s nice having them there.”

As a senior, she only has 15 games, plus a potential postseason tournament, left on her schedule. While she said that she is interested in continuing her basketball career on the court, the opportunity has not yet come up.

But, after she finishes her business management degree, she said she planned on attending graduate school and hopes to work with the team as a graduate assistant.

Anything to stay involved in the game that she loves.

“It’s exciting,” she said about playing basketball. “I love the energy, and the fans watching you play something you’re good at. It’s a good feeling.”