Vanderbilt women's basketball coach Shea Ralph: Ciaja Harbison will be 'a great pro'

After a loss to LSU in the final home game of the season, Vanderbilt women's basketball coach Shea Ralph sung the praises of her star player.

Ciaja Harbison scored 21 points and made five 3-pointers with five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Harbison is second in the SEC in scoring; the conference leader, the Tigers' Angel Reese scored 23 points.

"She was a pro," Ralph said. "I think you can see the way that she competes, the way that she never backs down. ... I want her to have a really special end of the season. She deserves it. ... We'll continue to build on it like we have the whole year to make sure that whatever we have left to play, that we put her in a bright light to shine and also for her future. I mean, if anyone's watching today, and that second half Ciaja was one of the best players, if not, for a long stretch of time, the best player on the floor. She'll be a great pro, and she put herself on display today. I was happy for her."

In the second half, Harbison, who is out of eligibility after this season, scored 15 points and was a perfect 4-for-4 from deep. The Commodores (12-17, 3-12 SEC) lost to the Tigers, 82-63, and are currently in 12th place in the SEC going into the final matchup of the year with Auburn on Sunday.

Harbison transferred from St. Louis prior to the season but had to take on a much bigger role after three season-ending injuries and a dismissal left the Commodores with just eight players. She leads the SEC in minutes played per game and steals per game and is second in assists per game.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt WBB's Shea Ralph says Ciaja Harbison has pro future