Achieving a milestone of 1,000 points isn’t a simple feat, but Cy Springs’ senior guard Ma’Riyah Vincent effortlessly accomplished it, becoming just the second player in Cy Springs’ history to do so. Vincent’s remarkable performance was instrumental in guiding her team to an undefeated district record of 14-0 in 6A Region II District 16 and securing a spot in the regional semifinals.
“This team is special because we’ve had the addition of some pieces, and the chemistry on the court is just different,” said head coach Taneisha Rogers. “They genuinely are friends off the court. They hang out, have fun, and enjoy each other’s company. When you have chemistry off the court, it transpires and leads to great things on the court. They share the ball and are genuinely happy for one another.”
One of those newly added pieces is senior guard Ma’Riyah Vincent who recently played with state runner-up, Duncanville.
“Ma’Riyah’s special. Her addition to this team has been instrumental to us because she’s a special talent. She shows up early and stays late. Her pouring into the game, because she loves it so much, is infectious and it bleeds off to our other players. They see her doing it and they realize, ‘I can do this too.’ So, just adding someone who truly loves the game and gives their all to the game, it’s been special,” said Rogers.
Ma’Riyah Vincent
IG: @mariyaonfire
Twitter: @MaRiyaonFire
Position: Guard
Height & weight: 6-feet-0, 174 pounds
Player she studies: Lebron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
Status: Committed to The University of Missouri
Favorite artist: Drake
Favorite subject: Street Law
Shout-outs: Mom, Coach Paye, NoEqualAcademy, Coach Pennington
After seeing her mom play, Vincent began playing basketball for her local YMCA at eight years old. Her mom, Richarda Outley, who attended McLennan Community College and was an All-American basketball player, taught Vincent about the game.
“When I was younger, she would tell me things and I would hear her, but it didn’t sound important until I got older and then I had trainers who echoed much of what she was saying. Then it dawned on me she was mom, but she knew everything it took to be successful on the court and more,” said Vincent.
As Vincent began to fall in love with the game, she attended Campbell Middle School and made the eighth-grade basketball team. For high school, she attended Jersey Village where she made the varsity basketball team and played with Briana Peguero and Gia Adams.
“I was in the starting rotation, but I was more like a role player. Briana and Gia were leaders and playing with them helped me mature quickly and learn how to lead and talk to people on the court. On days they were tired or didn’t feel like talking. I picked up the slack,” said Vincent.
Vincent moved her sophomore season and the move forced her to attend Klein Cain. While at Klein Cain she found herself once again in the varsity starting rotation, as she transitioned from a post player to a shooting guard.
“I put in a lot of work that summer, probably one of the hardest working summers I’ve ever had,” said Vincent. “While at Klein Cain, I had the ball in my hands a lot more and I was just able to score. I started to develop my mid-range and my three ball because I used to always drive. But this move allowed me to become more of an all-around player.”
As a junior Vincent relocated to Desoto where she averaged a double-double through the playoffs and her team made it to the UIL Class 6A State Championship but fell short 42-37 to the Clark Cougars.
“I put in a lot of work that season, I sacrificed my body so much playing through injuries. And to get there and lose felt depressing,” said Vincent. “However, playing with the Desoto team taught me how to play with other people who know how to score, allowed me to improve my leadership capabilities, and boosted my confidence. I feel Dallas has some of the best teams and while I was playing there I was still getting buckets and locking up the best players.”
For her senior year, Vincent moved to Cypress Springs where she found herself in a place to rewrite the history of her junior season as Cypress Springs found themselves in the regional semifinals. Throughout her basketball journey, Vincent has learned to handle adversity and thrive in it. Playing with various teams allowed her to become more of a versatile player. Vincent has since won First Team All-District three times, Academic First Team twice, All-State and the Naismith award.
Vincent is a three-level scorer who is continuing to work on her mid-range and her three-point shooting. She is committed to the University of Missouri, where she plans to study business and law.
“The first phone call was so genuine and they didn’t play hard to get. They were very God-led and positive. It felt right when I visited the campus. Everything was smooth and everybody was nice. The team vibe was good and they all seemed like leaders, and that’s where I want to be,” said Vincent.
