CIAA Hall of Fame Members
Kiarsha Curtis left an ever-lasting impact on Shaw University’s women’s basketball program in her three years with the Bears. From 2003-2005, Curtis helped lead Shaw to three consecutive CIAA championships under legendary head coach Jaques Curtis. The team garnered a 91-8 overall record in that time and would go on to claim the South Atlantic Region title in 2005 as well.
Curtis’ list of accolades in her three years as a Bear is nothing short of remarkable, as she is a two-time All-CIAA selection (2004, 2005) and a two-time CIAA Tournament MVP (2004, 2005). She’s only one of three players in CIAA history to be named the tournament MVP more than once.
While she dominated within the conference, her ability to score and make a heavy impact extended into the NCAA tournament as well. In 2005, she was named the South Atlantic Regional MVP after leading Shaw over Carson-Newman, 67-53, to win the South Atlantic Regional and earn a berth to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals for the first time in school history, leading the game with 22 points. Individually, Curtis was a First Team Division II South Atlantic All-Region selection, and her team was the top-ranked squad entering the NCAA Division II quarterfinals after their regional title. Additionally, she was named a Second Team Daktronics All-American in ‘05 as well.
Once her time as Shaw was complete, her dominance led her to being 24th on the CIAA’s all-time scoring leaders along with being among Shaw’s all-time leading scorers. She shot 47% from the floor and 38% from behind the arc, contributing to nearly 1,400 points in her three years. She also was a force to be reckoned with on defense, grabbing 224 steals in her career as well.