CHINA GROVE — Alex Allen was a unique player for Carson’s girls basketball program.

A skilled 5-foot-10 athlete, equally at home inside or outside, Allen played all five positions for the Cougars at different phases of her four-year career. If they named a Carson all-time team for the program’s first nine years, Allen would be on it.

“Her role changed each season, but she was a team-first player whether we needed her to score or we needed her to rebound or we needed her to handle the ball,” Carson coach Brooke Misenheimer said. “She was a great teammate. And when we needed her to be a leader, she was a great leader.”

Allen, who may be a future coach, will continue her education and basketball career at Division III Lynchburg. Carson celebrated what Allen has meant to the basketball program and school on Monday, honoring her along with Guilford-bound teammate Sydney Huffman.

Lynchburg’s Hornets compete in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. One of their league rivals is Guilford.

“I’ve been playing with Sydney since fourth grade, but now I’ll have to play against her,” Allen said with a laugh. “I’m looking forward to it. I know her moves.”

As a freshman, Allen was the first off the bench for a team that went 23-4 and tied for first place in the North Piedmont Conference. The stars were Kelly Dulkoski and Allison Blackwell, the top two scorers in school history. Allen averaged 6.6 points per game.

As a sophomore, Allen moved into the starting lineup and was the No. 4 scorer. That was the senior year for Dulkoski and Blackwell, and the Cougars went 21-8.

As a junior, Allen was the centerpiece for a rebuilding effort. Along with Kate Cole, she led the Cougars to a 13-13 record. Allen had to score and handle the ball more — and did. She topped 20 points five times, scored a career-best 25 against Hickory Ridge and was in double figures in all 26 games. She made the all-county team.

As a senior, Allen extended her string of consecutive games  scoring in double figures to 50 before she was finally stopped by Northern Guilford in the 3A state playoffs. Freshman Olivia Gabriel took over the bulk of the ballhandling this season, so Allen focused on the boards. Allen’s average game as a first-team all-county performer for a 12-13 team was 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals.

“For as young as we were, we had a good season,” Allen said. “You’d always like to win more, but I was proud of my career.”

As a senior, Allen accounted for 50 of Carson’s 77 blocked shots and 12 of the Cougars’ 14 double-doubles. She was efficient, shooting 79 percent on free throws, 47 percent on 2-point field goals and a respectable 31 percent on 3-pointers. She finished as the No. 3 scorer in school history with 1,149 points.

“She even led us in charges,” Misenheimer said.

Lynchburg coaches first came to see Allen play for her Winston-Salem Stealers AAU team play in a tournament in Greensboro. She should be outstanding for the Virginia school with her well-rounded game. She’s probably best at small forward, but she’s already proven she can play anywhere on the floor.

“Lynchburg is a good fit,” Misenheimer said. “It’s important to go where you’re really wanted, and Alex is doing that.”