Lashonda Hathorne started off as a track star. It’s the reason why she went to St. John’s Prep and she went to states as a sophomore in cross country. The lightning-fast, lanky youngster was already getting letters from USC and UCLA.
When she sprained both ankles, though, Hathorne took a break from track and concentrated on basketball. Her love for hoops grew and she realized as a 10th grader that’s what she wanted to do at the next level.
That goal came to fruition Sunday. Hathorne, a 5-foot-9 guard, verbally committed to Dominican College. She had interest from numerous schools like Robert Morris, NJIT and Adelphi, but felt like she couldn’t wait anymore. Dominican had offered her a full ride, combining athletics and academics, back in February.
“I wasn’t trying to rush it, but at the same time I didn’t want to wait too long,” Hathorne said. “For the past hour after speaking to the coach I was just smiling, because it is a relief. It’s over with, thank God.”
Her transition from the track to the basketball court was really a seamless one. Hathorne was the star player for St. John’s Prep during one of the program’s best stretches in recent memory. The Red Storm won two CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Division II tournament titles, a regular-season championship and this year they took home the CHSAA Class B city title.
Hathorne’s career didn’t end until SJP was in the CHSAA Class B state championship game, an eventual loss to St. Mary’s of Lancaster. In the semis of that tournament, she dropped in 32 points and in the ‘B’ title game Hathorne had 23. This was perhaps the least talented Red Storm team of the last three years, but she carried them to great heights.
“I figured that if I became a leader, it would all be fine,” she said. “I had to put them on my back and it turned out great.”
Hathorne is walking proof that you don’t have to play for a big-name high-school team or a nationally known AAU team to get college offers. St. John’s Prep is a ‘B’ team, the lowest of the city’s three tiers, and her Warriors travel squad is well-respected locally, but it’s not New Heights or the Philly Belles. Hathorne said she was asked dozens of times to jump ship, yet she remained loyal to the Warriors and coach Joe DeLuca.
“Everyone is like if you don’t go to a ‘AA’ school or play for Gauchos, you’re not gonna go to a good college,” Hathorne said. “It doesn’t matter where you go, it’s what you bring to the table. That may be some of it, but it’s not the whole thing. … I felt like I was the face of the program. How would that look if I left? I couldn’t do that to them. That just wouldn’t be right. Joe did so much for me.”
Her loyalty is one of the reasons she chose Dominican as well. They were the first to offer and while other schools were dragging their feet, the Chargers were always there for her. Hathorne will join city natives Shannon Lavelle (Archbishop Molloy) and Chelsea Aronica (Staten Island Academy) in Orangeburg, N.Y., and a host of local players in the CACC.
“They’re sitting and waiting for me, so obviously they wanted me more than anyone,” Hathorne said. “So why not go there? They would call me on a regular basis just to talk and see how I was doing. It showed that they cared about me, too. It was different.”
One assistant college coach, who has seen her play many times, thinks Hathorne will be a very good fit with the Chargers.
“She’s a hard worker and a very passionate player with tons of upside and the ability to come in and contribute right away at that level and in that conference,” the coach said.
She will sign a National Letter of Intent this week and then she’ll head down to Philadelphia for the Penn Relays the last weekend of April. That’s right – Hathorne is back on the track for the first time since her sophomore year.
Dominican shouldn’t worry, though. She’s found her calling.
“I’m happy about that decision a lot,” Hathorne said of choosing basketball.
