Prior to playing the second half of their season, the Chapel Hill Lady Panthers went 8-2 overall and apparently overcame their relative lack of size on the court.

Head coach Christopher Long named one player, Kaneisha Mixon, as the standout player of the past week.

A 5-foot-5 senior point guard, Mixon is one of the team captains.

Mixon is also the team’s top scorer as she averages 14 points a night, and is one of the team’s top defenders as she averages 3.7 steals.

“She’s a very energetic player with lots of basketball IQ. She’s small in stature, but big in heart,” said Long.

Long said Mixon stepped into a leadership role this year for the team. He said he is proud of how she progressed as she continues to “meet and exceed the bar.”

“She’s been very vocal lately. She’s one of the ones that’ll get it done. She has really stepped up,” Long said.

According to Long, Mixon has had several good games this season, including the last game of 2012 — a 75-42 victory over Riverdale. Mixon scored 22 points against the Raiders.

“She did an awesome job that night. She has had some 19-point nights and 21 points against Alexander,” said Long.

Even on nights when Mixon does not reach her average, Long said she does many other things on the court and is a “well-rounded” player.