Demopolis’ Shadijah Moore will play on the South team in the 2011 North-South All-Star girls basketball game at Alabama State in July.

The Lady Tiger junior becomes the first competitor from Demopolis to take part in the game since 2005.

“I have been blessed to coach one other young lady (who made the all-star game), Gabrielle Essex,” Demopolis head coach Tony Pittman said. “It is big for our program. It helps the kids see the big picture outside of Demopolis.”

Moore first learned of her selection last week, calling the news a surprise.

“We played some quality teams this year. In doing that, Shadijah played real well in most of those games,” Pittman said. “She plays with tenacity around the basket. She plays real well with her back to the basket and can face up and shoot the midrange jumper. And she rebounds like crazy.”

Moore, a 6-2 forward, said she hopes the game will allow her to get further exposure as she looks to earn attention from collegiate coaches.

Given her size and overall athletic ability, Moore had long been told about her potential. But it was not until the end of her sophomore season that she began to grasp what she could achieve within the confines of the game.

Moore, who averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds during her junior campaign, pointed to a more controlled style of play as evidence that her game has improved over the last year.

“Last year, I stayed in a lot of foul trouble and didn’t really produce scoring wise,” she said of her sophomore season. This year, Moore largely carried a young, inexperienced team. As effective as Moore is in the paint, Pittman points to the forward’s speed as one of her greatest assets.

“Shadijah beats all the post players down the floor,” Pittman said. “We really look for her down the middle of the floor. She runs the floor really well.” On July 13 in the Acadome on the campus of Alabama State University in Montgomery, she will be focused on contributing to a potential South team victory while trying to catch the attention of any scouts or coaches who may be in attendance.