When N.C. Central University freshman guard Joanna Miller decided to continue her education and basketball career 3,000 miles away from home, she was looking to stand out.
"I expected to make a difference in the program," said Miller.
Among Miller's accomplishments are All-Independent Newcomer of the year, All-Independent first team and NCCSIA All-State basketball team.
Miller ended her freshman season with 496 points, more than any freshman in program history.
Like any new college player, however, Miller struggled along the way.
"She had a couple of games where she just didn't have it but she wasn't one to fall apart," said head coach Joli Robinson.
"She learned to push through because no one has perfect games."
Miller, who hails from Los Angeles, had a tough time adjusting to life in the South.
"When I first got here I was thinking about the cold weather and snow. I still get homesick sometimes though," said Miller.
Miller rose to the test almost every time she faced such teams as Maryland, Wake Forest and Duke; each of which she scored more than 15 points.
"I believe she looked forward to playing the big schools and she went out there and put no pressure on herself," said Robinson.
According to Miller, the best part of her season was toward the end because the team started to really come together and get better.
The Lady Eagles finished with an 11-18 record, a one-game improvement from last year.
Next year will see the Lady Eagles line-up get a boost with the return of the former Heritage Sports Radio Network player of year, Jori Nwachukwu.
Nwachukwu returns to the squad after missing all of last season due to a knee injury.
The Lady Eagles also will get help from the return of sophomore Chasidy Williams who was the team's second leading scorer in the 08-09 season.
"It's going to be interesting for them to all play together; I believe that they will feed off each other," said Robinson.
As a sophomore, Miller said, "I need to improve in every aspect of the game and increase my knowledge of the game," she said.
Robinson noted that she expects Miller to "continue to work hard, improve every day and continue to be the humble person that she is."
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