Smith represented South Jeff at finest

If South Jefferson is the model Frontier League program for success in girls basketball, then Erika Smith represents a true standard of excellence.

For the Spartans, no one has done it better.

In an unforgettable 2003-04 season at South Jefferson, Smith led the Spartans to their first state title. South Jefferson finished 27-2 that year, and Smith was the driving force, averaging 13.9 points during the regular season. The numbers were more robust in the playoffs, as Smith averaged 16.8 points, 14.3 rebounds and 5.8 blocked shots in four games that culminated with South Jefferson taking the state trophy at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy.

In the state championship game, a 43-32 triumph over Section 1's Rye, Smith finished with 11 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots as the Spartans prevailed with their familiar style of aggressive defense.

Recognition of Smith's efforts came in various forms: among other accolades that season, she was named the state's most valuable player in Class B, MVP of the final four, a member of the Federation all-tournament team and a repeat honoree as a Times All-North MVP.

After graduation from South Jefferson, where she also excelled in soccer and track and field, Smith went on to play basketball for Division I College of Charleston, where she is majoring in historic preservation and community planning. Smith, a senior forward, scored two points and grabbed two rebounds Saturday as the Cougars beat Georgia Southern 65-53 in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference tournament at North Charleston, N.C.

In the semifinals on Sunday, Smith finished with six points, three blocks and two rebounds as the Cougars were beaten by Chattanooga 68-53.

Smith, who is from Mannsville, battled injuries during her first two seasons at college, but ended her career as the Cougars' No. 2 all-time leading shot-blocker with 164.