Rocky Mount, N.C. - Former Battling Bishop men's basketball standout Matt Dougherty has signed to play professionally for the Australian Basketball League's Sturt Sabres. A 2012 Wesleyan graduate, Dougherty will make his debut on Saturday, April 6th.
"I am thankful and blessed to be given this opportunity," said Dougherty, a native of Ayden, North Carolina. "It has been a childhood dream of mine to play professional basketball."
Located in Adelaide, Australia, the Sturt Sabres Basketball Club enters both a men's and women's team into the Central ABL. The Central ABL includes 10 Clubs from SA metropolitan and country areas. Teams play an 18-game home and away season, as well as a 4-round finals series. The 2013 season tips off on April 6th and culminates in men's and women's Grand Finals at the Adelaide Dome on August 31st.
Dougherty, an Algernon Sydney Sullivan recipient, was a standout player for head coach John Thompson from 2008 to 2012. A two-time USA South All-Conference selection and a 2011 D3Hoops.com All-South Region performer, Dougherty helped the Bishops capture back-to-back USA South regular season titles in 2010 and 2011, in addition to the 2011 Conference Tournament crown and an NCAA Tournament berth. He was named Most Valuable Player of his 2010-2011 squad and was twice named NCWC's Male Student-Athlete of the Year.
For more information on the Sturt Sabres, please click the links below:
ABL Website: http://basketball.australiabasket.com/team/Sturt_Sabres/3971?p=team3971
Sturt Website: http://sturtsabres.com.au/about/general-information/