Shakyla Hill becomes first Division I player to get two career quadruple-doubles

With 23 seconds remaining, Grambling State senior point guard Shakyla Hill got a steal and fell to the floor in disbelief. It was the stat that sealed the deal for her second career quadruple-double.

Just when one thought it was impossible to get one quadruple-double, Hill made history by being the first player in NCAA Division I to get two quadruple-doubles, in a 77-57 win over the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday night. The Grambling State basketball star notched 21 points, 16 rebounds, 13 assists and 10 steals.

“Right now I have all the emotions in the world running through my head,” said Hill. “I just feel really blessed. I know I keep saying that over and over, but I feel like I’m one of the most blessed individuals that I’ve come in contact with. I honestly cannot tell you. I feel like you can put in work day in and day out but God really has his hand on me, and he’s really just guiding me throughout all of this, and he helped me get to the point where I’m at now.”

During the fourth quarter, word quickly spread through the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center at Grambling that Hill was nearing a quadruple-double.

“Actually, first it came from Coach Diaz, and then I think the crowd kinda got a hold of it,” Hill said. “After, I think, my mom said something really loud and then once the crowd got a hold of it, they were kinda letting me know all throughout the fourth quarter. They were, like, you need two steals. You need one steal. Give us one steal. Everyone knew at that point.”

A little over one year ago on Jan. 3, 2018, Hill recorded her first quadruple-double (15 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals). It made her the first player in NCAA basketball history since Soja Tate of Arkansas State, who did it 25 years ago against Mississippi Valley State.

In the same minute that Hill got her quadruple-double, she got her fourth foul with 53 seconds remaining in regulation. Shortly after that, she nailed a 3-pointer. On the next play, Hill leaped high into the air and caught a wildly-thrown pass by Arkansas-Pine Bluff guard Ashlee Daniel for a steal.

“That was actually crazy, because it took a lot of my energy to actually jump and make the kind of catch that I did,” Hill said. “It took me a bunch of energy to actually scuffle on the floor and try to get the ball away from her and then after that I didn’t have any more left to give. I couldn’t get up and the crowd was going crazy and I felt a rush of emotions.”

Grambling State women’s basketball coach Freddie Murray was not surprised by Hill’s second quadruple-double.

“I’m excited for her,” said Murray. “I see it. She flirts with them so often night in and night out I’m surprised she hasn’t had more than just two because we’ve seen her play at this level pretty much for the last 3½ years and she’s always come close. She gets triple-doubles all the time, but she always comes close to quadruple-doubles.”

Hill said the Lady Tigers’ biggest goal this season is to not only win the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship, but to be the first historically black university to win an NCAA first-round tournament game. Hill also said she wants to become a better leader and make sure she keeps her teammates involved. The Lady Tigers (6-2 SWAC, 9-11 overall,) are the defending SWAC champions.