As a senior at Tulsa's Booker T. Washington High School, when Taylor Sells first pulled into the Farris Center parking lot on the University of Central Arkansas campus she had no clue where she was going, and had never seen a college basketball game in person.

On Saturday – four years later – when Sells pulls into the Farris Center parking lot, it will be to play in her final one. But she's still unsure of where she's going.

The senior guard will end her four-year run as a Sugar Bear on Saturday at 1:00pm against Northwestern State in the Sugar Bears' season finale, wrapping up an improbable career in the same building where she was introduced to college basketball.

"My dad surprised me one time – we just got on the road and I'm like 'where are we going?'," said Sells, who will don a Central Arkansas uniform for the 114th and final time on Saturday. "We pulled up into the parking lot and I was like 'What is this? What are we doing?' and he said 'I'm taking you to a UCA game.' I had never been to a college basketball game before – not even in Tulsa – until I came to one here. He didn't tell me where we were going, we just got in the car and ended up here and 'Alright what is this building? Oh there's a basketball game in there!"

The hook was set, and Sells made decision that she wanted to see a lot more games in that building. She would later attend the Sugar Bears' first Southland Conference Tournament championship in Katy, Texas, and knew it was something she wanted to be a part of for the next four years.

"UCA wasn't too far away – I didn't want to go more than four hours from home," she said. "I could get there easily, the campus was nice, and the coaches did a good job of recruiting me – I talked to them almost every day. And when I went down to Katy, the team didn't know who I was but they treated me nice and it seemed like a big family – I was like 'Hi! I'm going to be your new teammate!' - everything just felt right. After seeing that championship, I told Coach Rushing on my visit here that we would win a championship my first year – and then it happened. I should have said all 4 years, maybe it would have come true!"

Though the Sugar Bears would in fact win another title in Sells' first year, it would be the only one she had the pleasure of experiencing as the Sugar Bears won 25 games and advanced to the final of the WBI in her sophomore season before hitting a rough patch over the last two seasons.

"It has been frustrating the last couple years, things not coming out how I wanted them to," she said. "But I'm still grateful I got the experience – most people never get to experience it at all. That was the most incredible thing – I've never experienced anything like winning that championship and going to the NCAA Tournament. It was amazing to me, being treated like queens – we literally had a whole plane to ourselves. I was stretched out across those three seats like 'this is all mine'. I loved everything about it – the recognition from across the nation, being one of the top teams in the country, one of the last 64 teams playing. It was an incredible experience, especially coming in as a freshman out of high school."

During that season, Sells was more of a role player – averaging 19.5 minutes and starting 17 games on a veteran team that returned 9 players from the previous year. But with each passing season, Sells' role continued to grow – peaking this season as the team's leader in scoring, assists and steals, and 3rd-leading rebounder while playing a team-high 33 minutes per game and starting every game.

In all, Sells wraps up her time as a Sugar Bear ranking 3rd in the program's Division I history in assists; 5th in minutes played; 6th in games started; and 8th in games played while scoring nearly 700 points, grabbing more than 400 rebounds, dishing out just shy of 300 assists and recording over 100 steals.

"My freshman year, I didn't have to do much – we had a strong group of seniors and it was their team," she said. "I was just a role player – I'd bring the ball down, pass it, and go over in the corner and stand. But as the years went on, I realized the team needed me more and more, and the coaches trusted me more and more, and I had to step up and fill that bigger role. I made the most of it and gave it my all. A lot of blood, sweat and tears – a whole bunch of sweat, every day."

"It's been a pleasure watching Taylor progress during her time here," head coach Sandra Rushing said. "She came in as a wide-eyed freshman and was a little overwhelmed like freshman usually are, but each year she kept getting better. When we brought her in, it wasn't to be the focal point of the team, but she has grown into that and that's something I wouldn't have seen coming a couple years ago. She's one of the fastest kids I've ever coached and she has a chance to extend her career and I'm excited to see where she goes. Taylor's one of a kind, and I'm glad we had her for four years and that she is getting her degree – which is more important than basketball."

Getting that degree, more than winning a championship, is what Sells is most proud of from her stay in Conway.

"May 2nd, at 3:30," she says. "I'm ready. That's a big accomplishment to me. There were times I wanted to drop out, honestly. School stresses me out. But I said no, I've got to finish and graduate. That's the accomplishment I'm most proud of. And to stay at one school for four years playing basketball, that's a big thing to me too. A lot of people transfer year after year after year, and it's rare now for somebody to stay in one spot for four years. So I'm proud to have done that and get my degree."

After school is done, she has professional aspirations, eyeing playing opportunities abroad.

"I'm going to a showcase in April, getting an agent, and seeing where it goes from there. Wherever God wants me to go, that's where I'll go. If it doesn't work out, I'll go back home and become a chiropractor's assistant and hopefully get into coaching and training. But my first goal is to keep playing."

Where?

"I really don't know for sure," she said. "I want to go to some place that's pretty, has air conditioning, and inside bathrooms. And McDonald's. As long as they have McDonald's, I'm fine. I know a friend who played in Spain, another in China, and somebody in Germany – but I heard Germany doesn't have air conditioning. I originally wanted to go to China, but apparently their Chinese food and our Chinese food are different. So I don't think I want to go there now."

But before she heads off, there is one more order of business – a win over Northwestern State on Senior Day.

"It'll be a bittersweet moment," she said. "It's my last game here of course, but I'm trying to go overseas so while this door is closing I'm excited that another one is opening. But it would be an amazing feeling to walk off with our heads high. We still have the opportunity to finish the season on a high note. It's not the tournament, but ending with two wins is big. Most people lose their last game, so it would be really great to finish with one more win on my home floor."

A floor she would have never known about if not for her dad and that surprise drive.

"I appreciate so much everything my family has done for me," she said. "I've been playing since I was four years old, and they have always supported me and spent thousands of dollars on AAU, traveling, all of that – just to get me to where I am and help me reach my goals. I really appreciate that. My big brother used to work me out, take me to the gym and I'd be like 'Oh, he's bigger than me – I can't shoot over him, I'll just go around him' and that's helped me so much in my college career. My little brother, he's the one that keeps me going. He looks up to me, and I feel like if I show him I can do it, he can do it. They all support me and are a big part of why I'm here. They did all the research about schools and coaches. I wouldn't have ended up here without them. I've made so many friends here and so many memories – especially with the team this year. It's like a family – I know for a fact I'll talk to them for the rest of my life. The people around here, I love them. My teammates, the fans and boosters. I may not know all their names, but I know their faces. I'm glad I got to play for this university and represent it well."