Senior Spotlight: Lexi McCully

SEMO women’s basketball senior guard Lexi McCully has had a long journey throughout her collegiate career.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan native spent her first two years of college at Mineral Area College, a junior college located in Park Hills, Missouri; Grand Rapids, is 509 miles away from Park Hills.

McCully played at Mineral Area for two years before transferring to Georgia Southwestern, a Division II school. The schools are over 670 miles from each other; another long trip for McCully.

After one season at Georgia Southwestern, McCully returned to southeast Missouri. Travelling another 580 miles, this time playing for a Division I program, SEMO, for her senior campaign. It was an easy decision for Lexi McCully to commit to SEMO.

“Once the opportunity came along, I didn’t have to think about it for even two seconds. It worked out perfect,.” said McCully. “From Mineral to Georgia I feel like I’m right back home.”

McCully’s first college coach? Current SEMO WBB coach Briley Palmer—or BP as the team calls her. Palmer, like McCully, played at Mineral Area College to start her basketball career, before taking over as head coach of the program. Palmer knows McCully better than most do.

“I've got to see this person who really has joy for the game of basketball and passion for the game of basketball,” said Coach Palmer.

This season, McCully is averaging 11.2 points per game. She shoots 31% from three-point range and has the team’s highest free-throw percentage at 86%.

Lexi’s success shouldn’t be a surprise, as basketball runs in the McCully family.

Her sister, Mariah McCully, is also a JUCO product. After 2 years of playing JUCO ball, she played three years for Wichita State University. In Maria McCully’s final year at Wichita State, she started in every game that she played, leading the team in scoring averaging 12.9 points per game.

“She's still, to this day, the best basketball player I have ever seen live in action,” McCully said.

On Feb. 8, 2025, McCully had her best game of the season, scoring 30 points against Southern Indiana while making 50% of her three-point shots. She has led SEMO in scoring in eight games this season.

“I would describe myself as a winner, and I’m gonna do anything I can to win,” said McCully.

As her senior season comes to an end, McCully’s journey through junior college, Division II, and now Division I basketball has helped shape her into the player she is today.