Manatee girls basketball guard commits to NAIA program

For five years, not one Manatee High School girls basketball player continued their athletic careers in college on scholarship.

Briana Purington has given the Hurricanes two in this year’s senior class.

The guard signed with Webber International, an NAIA school based in Babson Park, earlier this month.

“I looked to see the pros and cons of each school,” said Purington, who plans to major in Criminal Justice Management and would like to pursue a career with the FBI. “(Webber) ranks highly in the state for its criminal justice program. When I went and visited it was a good environment, and it felt like home because it was so small. They welcomed you in.”

Purington follows Deanay Watson, who signed with Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, Conn., in February.

“In two years as captain, (Purington and Watson) won more games than the last six years combined, and that is a testament to them, and the fact they bought into a new guy coming in and what I was teaching,” Manatee coach Travis Persinger said. “They wanted to establish something new in the program. And it is pretty special when you can see two young ladies take the lead on the ground level of a rebuilding job.”

The Webber International program is not in need of rebuilding, just restocking. Located southeast of Lake Wales in the center of the state, Webber International was scheduled to graduate five seniors, including three guards, this month. Breyonna Reed, who graduated from Southeast High School in 2016, is one of the guards on the roster scheduled to return. Purington is more of a two guard than Reed, so the former foes could end up working together on the court.

Purington, a varsity captain for two seasons, carried a 3.8 GPA as a junior and 4.0 as a senior while working parttime at Wendy’s both years and serving as a volunteer youth coach at G.T. Bray Park. She ranked second on the Hurricanes in points and assists and ranked among the leaders in rebounds in both seasons.

“She has a bulldog mentality; she thinks she’s 6-foot-5,” Persinger said. “But her size (5-1) is what kept her from getting more opportunities at the Division II level.”

Her speed and shooting ability earned her a handful of offers from NAIA schools.

This story was originally published May 11, 2017 at 9:52 AM with the headline "Manatee girls basketball guard commits to NAIA program."