By Rich Winter

605 Sports

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Five years after graduating from Crow Creek High School Marveen Ross reached some rare air. 

Playing for Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, Ross surpassed 1,000 career points in an 83-61 win over Missouri Baptist on Jan. 4. 

“I wasn’t aware that I was close to 1,000 points until Dale Pine Jr. (of Pine Ridge) messaged me,” Ross said. “I knew I had scored a lot of points but wasn’t thinking about reaching that milestone.”

Ross’s road to 1,000 points didn’t come easily and was filled with a few twists and turns. 

After a standout career at Crow Creek, Ross embarked on her collegiate career at Gulf Coast State College, a junior college in Florida. Ross didn’t play at Gulf Coast State College but the daughter of Marlan Ross and Glenda St. John knew she was good enough to play there. 

“Coming out of high school I wanted to go Division I because I knew I had the potential,” Ross said. “One of the assistant coaches at Crow Creek, Mariah Sazue, really helped me. If she didn’t message schools for me I don’t know where I’d be today.”

Ross returned closer to home and ended up playing for United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, North Dakota. While there she played briefly and scored 107 points.

Ross’s next stop was Colby, Kansas, where she played briefly for Colby Community College. Ultimately she left Kansas after scoring 186 points in a program that wasn’t the right fit. 

Once again Ross headed home with the intention of going back to United Tribes Technical College. Her basketball future changed when she received a phone call from Stephens College women’s coach Andre Bell.

“Coach Bell called me about two weeks before school started and told me he wanted me to be one of his first recruits,” she said. 

It wasn’t a quick phone call and Ross interacted with her future coach as Bell talked about wanting to make her a better basketball player. 

“He sold me on treating me like a person,” Ross said. “I felt comfortable with him and was able to put complete trust in him.” 

Ross, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, is a returning all-conference player and has started every game of her career at NAIA Stephens College. This season Ross has battled injuries including hyper-extending her knee twice. 

Ross will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in Health Science. Upon graduation she plans on going back to United Tribes to obtain her associate degree in Criminal Justice.

Ross said her thoughts are never far from home. 

“When I was in high school the younger girls would send me letters and wish me good luck,” she said. “When I go home I try to help with practice. I’m really big on giving back to my community, especially the girls, because I can relate to them wanting to play basketball.”

While her collegiate eligibility runs out this year, Ross says she plans on pursuing basketball as a career overseas.