Jai Jai McLaughlin

Bio

2014-15 (Junior): Suffered season-ending knee injury at Coker on January 17 after starting 16 of the first 17 games of the year averaging 27.5 minutes per night…Averaged 8.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game…Moved into the school’s top-10 in assists on January 10 against Queens bring her career total to 295…Led the team in scoring and rebounding four times while leading the team in assists five times…Notched two double-double nights, December 20 at Kentucky Wesleyan (12 points, 13 rebounds) and January 14 at Brevard (10 points, 12 rebounds)…Had eight double-figure scoring nights including a season-high 17 in the season opener against USC Aiken on November 15…Had nine games with three or more assists including a season-hgih eight at Mars Hill on January 7…Played a career-high 38 minutes on January 14 at Brevard

2013-14 (Sophomore): Was the lone player to start all 30 games for the Eagles in her sophomore campaign while averaging a team high 31.1 minutes per game playing the 8^th most minutes in the SAC with 934…Led the SAC with 145 assists and finished seventh in the league with 55 steals…She never played fewer than 24 minutes including playing 30 or more minutes 20 times…Led C-N in free throws made (91), free throw attempts (123), assists (145), and steals (55)…Placed 16^th in the SAC with a 74 percent free throw percentage…Despite being one of the shortest players on the team, was behind only Kaitlyn Cupples for rebounding as she pulled in 169 (5.6 per game)…Finished fifth on the team with 8.1 points per game…Scored in double figures on ten occasions…Tallied the Eagles first triple-double this century against Tusculum on January 22 with 10 points, 14 rebounds (career high) and a C-N Division II era record 13 assists…McLaughlin tallied another triple-double on March 5 versus Catawba to help the Eagles advance to the SAC Tournament semifinals. The sophomore had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists…Notched career highs in steals (6) in back-to-back games at Tusculum on January 22 and versus Newberry on January 25

2012-13 (Freshman): Was fifth on the team in scoring with 5.8 points per game.  One of two Lady Eagles to start all 26 games. Led C-N in assists with 101.  Snatched 4.9 boards a game - third on the team and had 47 steals - second on the team.  Had five games with double-digit scoring including a career high 17 in a home victory over North Georgia (12/5).  Grabbed a double-double in an overtime win over Brevard (11/28) with 12 points and a career-best 13 rebounds.  Was one of six double-doubles by Lady Eagles in 2012-13.  Had 12 games where she snatched at least five rebounds.  Game just shy of another double-double against LMU (2/20) with a nine-point, nine-rebound effort.  Dished out a season high nine assists in a road game against Newberry (2/16).  Had 11 such games where she registered more than five assists including a string of three consecutive against Mars Hill (2/13), Newberry and LMU.  

HIGH SCHOOL: A 5-5 guard, McLaughlin swept District 4-AAA honors by being selected District Player of the Year and the District Tournament's Most Valuable Player. She was also voted to the Region 2-AAA All-Tournament Team after leading her team to the region semis. During her senior season, McLaughlin also landed on the First Team Tennessee State Writers' Association AAA All-State Team, First Team Knoxville News-Sentinel Prep Xtra, and First Team All-KIL. She averaged 14.5 points per game, 7.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, playing for coach Justin Underwood.

Head Coach Mike Mincey on McLaughlin: "We are fortunate to sign a player like Jai Jai during the late signing period.  She is extremely athletic and excels in an up-tempo system. She's a very effective scorer in the open court and distributes the ball well. Defensively she's solid and led her team in rebounding from the point guard spot. She has all the tools to be a successful point guard in our system and within our conference.  We look forward to her arrival in August where she will compete for the starting point guard spot."