Horeb Christian’s Emely Rodriguez is Dade Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year for 4A-2A

Emely Rodriguez came to the United States from the Dominican Republic last year to try to chase her basketball dreams.

So far, it’s working out for her. In one offseason, she transformed Horeb Christian from an afterthought into a contender, reeled in several scholarship offers and is now the Miami Herald’s Miami-Dade County Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year for Classes 4A-2A.

Only a junior, Rodriguez still has one more year in Hialeah to add to her resume, too.

The 6-foot-1 wing was one of the most complete players in all of Florida. She was the No. 2 scorer in South Florida at 26.5 points per game, but also led the Mustangs with 15.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, while shooting 68 percent from the field, and helping to anchor Horeb Christian’s defense with 5.5 steals and 2.3 blocks per game.

The Mustangs, who had never even won a district title before this year, made it all the way to the Class 3A championship before falling 53-37 to Orlando Faith Christian last month in Lakeland.

In the title game, Rodriguez still had 19 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks and four steals just two days after she went off for 24 points, 19 rebounds, five blocks and four steals in the 3A semifinals.

“She’s a big mismatch for teams because most bigs can’t move that well, but she has a feel for the game too,” coach Agustin Pelaez said last month. “She wants to get to a place where she can change her life for herself and for her family.”

This year was a good starting point. She already holds offers from Mississippi State and USF and has another year -- including a full summer in the US -- to pull in even more.

She’ll also have another year to pull Horeb Christian to even greater heights.

Only a few years ago, the school paused its girls’ basketball program because of the COVID-19 pandemic and a struggle to field a full team. Now, the Mustangs are one of the best teams in Miami-Dade County and, as long as Rodriguez is there, will be a threat to win a first state title.

“The best thing about her is her humility,” Pelaez said. “A lot of big time athletes can come in with an attitude, but she’s team-first and the first one to own up to it when she makes a mistake.”