Sam Perez of Millsaps, top, and Amber Rice of Wittenberg are driven, always on the move. Millsaps, Wittenberg athletics photos

Samantha Perez and Amber Rice don't play for the same team and their paths as college basketball players have two very different looks to them.

But they are similar in one way, and that is they define what being an NCAA Division III college athlete is all about.

Perez, a senior point guard for Millsaps, works various jobs around campus and volunteers at a children's home as part of a work study program.

Rice, a senior guard at Wittenberg who began her career on the Tigers' junior varsity team, serves in the National Guard as a way to help pay for her education.

Life as an athlete is demanding enough.

Practice. Games. Travel. Offseason workouts. It's all part of the package.

But throw in added responsibilities and commitments that go beyond the court and beyond the classroom, and what you have are two student-athletes  who set an example for others to follow.

Perez isn't overwhelmed by everything on her plate. Instead, she enjoys being as busy as she is.

"It shows you how hard work can pay off and I love being able to do so many different things and have the ability to pull it off," Perez said. "It's just a matter of managing my time. The experience here has made me a better person and has prepared me for life."

Rice shares similar thoughts about her experience.

"It's been a very enjoyable and busy time for me," Rice said. "But I am very blessed to have the experiences I do. Being able to play basketball is great, and it's an honor to be a part of the National Guard."

Those experiences have helped shape both Perez and Rice as athletes and as people.

Perez grew up in Miami and lived in a single-parent home. She learned at an early age that she would have earn what she wanted in life. Nothing was going to be handed to her.

So getting a job once she arrived on campus at Millsaps was a no-brainer. She knew she would have to work hard to help pay for her education, and she does indeed work hard.

She got a job in the sports information department where she helps with stats, photos and videos during athletic events.

Perez also works at the recreation center on campus and her work study involves helping at a children's home where the children are basically wards of the state. Perez helps out in the PE classes, and most of the time, she works with children ages 12-15. But she also works with children as young as six and has even worked with autistic children.

"Some of these kids have had tough lives and have been through more than some adults have," Perez said. "It's very humbling to be around it and makes you appreciate the blessings you have in your life. But I worked at a summer camp back home and I've always enjoyed working with kids. It's great to be able to make a difference."

The children know she plays college basketball and will often ask her questions about it. They even attend games. Many tell her they want to play a college sport one day as well.

"It's nice to be someone they can look up to, and they love coming to the games," Perez said. "They will tell me they want to play college sports and I tell them it's important they do good in school if they want an opportunity to make it happen. They see me and see how hard work can pay off for you."

Rice is a shining example of hard work paying off as well. She spent a season and a half playing junior varsity basketball at Wittenberg and now she is one of the top scoring threats on the team and in the North Coast Athletic Conference. Rice averages 16.5 points per game and has knocked down 58 3-pointers.

"Amber is a great example of what perseverance looks like," Wittenberg coach Sarah Jurewicz said. "Not only did she spend her freshman year on JV, but she spent half of her sophomore year on the team, too. She spent a lot of time developing her game and put the work in to be a successful basketball player. She is a great role model for others."

It's Rice's dedication off the court that is truly impressive. Not everyone is cut out for military life, but Rice joined the National Guard in 2012. She finished the spring semester a week early that year to start basic training and had to start school a month late in the fall because of training.

"Going through it was a life-changer for me," Rice said. "I dealt with a lot of lack of sleep and I was tested mentally. It taught me a lot about toughness."

Yet, while her teammates were in the midst of summer workouts to improve their basketball skills, Rice didn't touch a ball the entire time she was in training.

"I went about three months without playing basketball. It was hard to be away from it," Rice said. "But I did get a lot stronger because of being in the weight room. I came back as strong as I've ever been and it helped me perform at a much higher level in games."

Rice must commit two days a month to the National Guard during the year and she said she learns something new each time.

She works on trucks and also gets time to shoot an M-16 on the range. Her time with the guard is also spent working on tactical skills such as using a gas mask.

"It's interesting because I get to learn so much and it's neat thinking that this is knowledge I would use if I ever went overseas with the military. It's a rewarding experience for me."

On the court, Rice has come a long way from her JV basketball days. She has made more than 120 3-pointers in her career and is also grabbing 5.2 rebounds per game. She has racked up 44 steals as well for the Tigers, who are 13-9 overall and 8-6 in the conference.

"I've become more than just a shooter," Rice said. "I've learned to get into the lane more and become a better rebounder and defender, too. I'm also more of a leader now because of my experience with the guard."

Perez, who is listed at 5-5 on the roster but said she is probably closer to 5-2, has stepped up this year as well and is second on the team in scoring at 12.0 points per outing.

She has dished out 116 assists and has tallied 38 steals for Millsaps, which is 14-8 overall and 8-4 in the SAA.

"I have to work hard because I'm not as tall or as strong as lot of other players, Perez said. "I feel like my pull-up jumper has gotten a lot better and I've become a much better defensive player."

There was a time, though, when Perez almost decided not to play college basketball. She tore her ACL twice in high school and a lot of people told her she would never get the chance to play at the next level because of those injuries.

"I wasn't sure if I was going to play," Perez said. "But I was able to overcome it. The recovery taught me a lot about being tough. I'm glad I had the chance to play college basketball."

Those days as a basketball player, though, are winding down for Perez and Rice. They plan to cherish their final games at their respective schools and make the most of the opportunities. But they are also looking toward their lives after basketball.

Perez plans to go into physical therapy, and on top of everything else she does — she is also a Resident Assistant — she shadows a physical therapist to learn about the profession.

Rice plans to stay active in the National Guard until 2020 and is considering a career in psychology or nursing. However, she hasn't ruled out a career in the military either.

Both players are thankful for what they have and for what they have accomplished as athletes and as people.

"I've been blessed to play basketball at Millsaps and I've been given so many opportunities because I did come here," Perez said. "It's made me a better person and a stronger person. I wouldn't trade the experience."

Neither would Rice.

"I've loved being a part of the team here and everything I've done here has made me into the person I am now," Rice said. "It's been so much fun and I've learned so much. I'm thankful for everything I've been able to do at Wittenberg."

American Southwest Conference

Men: Kyle Schleigh was one of four players in double figures as Texas-Dallas knocked LeTourneau on Saturday and secured home court for the conference tournament.

Schleigh scored 17 points to pave the way for the Comets, who will host the tourney for the third time in four seasons. Dallas is 21-2 overall and 19-1 in the ASC.

Schleigh also grabbed six rebounds and dished out six assists while Carter Nash, Nolan Harvey and Matthew Medell finished with 13 points apiece. Schleigh is now ninth all-time in points in conference history with 1,592.

Women: Texas-Tyler earned the outright conference championship on Saturday with a 78-53 win over Mary Hardin-Baylor.

The Patriots opened the game on a 28-9 run and never looked back as they improved to 20-3 overall and to 18-2 in the ASC. The title is their first since winning an East Division crown during the 2007-08 season.

SheÇara Humphrey led the way as she scored 23 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Danai Woods, Taylor Murphy and Brittany King scored 10 points apiece.

With the win, Tyler will host the conference tournament.

Great South Athletic Conference

Finlandia won its eighth consecutive game Saturday as it knocked off Northland International 91-52 in its final regular season game.

Marissa Burke turned in remarkable performance as she scored 42 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out five assists, tallied four steals and blocked three shots.

Brierra Ruska also came through with a big game as she scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds to help the Lions wrap up the regular season at 12-10. Finlandia is off until the GSAC tournament begins on Feb. 28 in at Trinity (D.C.).

Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

Men: Nate VanArendonk lit up the scoreboard for 21 points to help lead Hope to a 70-67 win over Alma on Saturday.

VanArendonk connected on seven of his nine shots from the field and his performance helped the Flying Dutchmen win their ninth consecutive game. Hope is now within a game of clinching at least a share of the MIAA title. Hope is 17-6 overall and 11-1 in the league.

Women: Hope lit it up from beyond the arc, breaking the DeVos Fieldhouse record for 3-pointers made as it clinched the MIAA championship with a 90-40 win over Trine on Saturday.

The Flying Dutch nailed 13 treys, breaking the old record of 12 set six years ago. Mandy Traversa connected five times from beyond the arc and fell one trey shy of tying the record for treys in a game at home. Traversa scored 17 points.

The 13 treys as a team is the second-most made by the Flying Dutch this season. It hit 15 against Kalamazoo on Feb. 5. Hope won its 11th outright conference title and 14th overall.

North Coast Athletic Conference

Men: Wooster continued its dominance of the NCAC as it topped rival Wittenberg 60-55 to win at least a share of its ninth conference title in the last 10 years. The Scots have won a league-record 16 titles overall.

Xavier Brown came through with 19 points and six rebounds to pace the Scots, who shot 34 percent from the field and won their fifth consecutive game over the Tigers. It's the longest streak in the series since Wittenberg joined the league in 1989.

Scott Purcell drilled three treys and scored 11 points as the Scots improved to 20-3 overall and to 14-2 in the NCAC.

Women: DePauw already had its third consecutive outright NCAC title wrapped up entering its game against Kenyon on Saturday, but the Tigers kept marching right along on Saturday as they rolled to an 80-47 win over Kenyon.

The Tigers are 24-0 overall and 15-0 in the conference. The win extends their streak to 58 overall and to 77 in the regular season.

Alex Gasaway came through with 20 points and also pulled down eight rebounds. Ali Ross scored 11 points and Alison Stephens finished with 10 points. Gasaway, Ross, Stephens, Erin McGinnis and Ann Sarkisian have won 110 games in their careers, with just six losses.

Ohio Athletic Conference

Men: Isaiah Roux scored a career-high 26 points and dished out five assists as Ohio Northern stunned Mount Union 90-85 on Saturday.

The Purple Raiders came into the game on top of the OAC and riding a seven-game win streak, but the Polar Bears, down 10 with 10 minutes remaining, used a balanced attack to pull off the upset.

Branden Rushton finished with 18 points. Jared Horstman scored 14 points and Dominique Royal clicked for 13 points. Jordan Martin added 12 points.

The Polar Bears are now 14-9 overall and 10-6 in the OAC. They have won four consecutive games and six of their last seven overall.

Women: Baldwin Wallace won its fifth consecutive game on Saturday as it knocked off Marietta 82-59 on the road.

Alissa Munro paved the way as she scored 17 points, highlighting her effort by knocking down four treys. The Yellow Jackets have won their last nine games against the Pioneers and are now 18-5 overall and 13-3 in the OAC.

Sheri Mangas scored 13 points and Audrey Smolik finished with 12 for the Yellow Jackets. Lexi Rohrbach added 11 points and also grabbed eight rebounds. She pushed her career rebound total to 565, good enough for eighth all-time.

Old Dominion Athletic Conference

Men: Randolph-Macon remained in first place after taking down Emory and Henry 63-59 on Saturday as it bounced back from its first loss of 2014.

Andre Simon did his part to make sure the Yellow Jackets got back on track after falling 73-68 to Eastern Mennonite last Tuesday as he scored 18 points.

Connor Sullivan finished with 11 points and Akeem Holmes scored 10 points off the bench. Holmes also pulled down five rebounds. It was the Wasps’ 20th consecutive loss.

Women: Eastern Mennonite won its 10th consecutive game on Saturday with an 82-72 win over Roanoke. The Royals are now one win away from securing the top seed in the conference tournament, which is held at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Va.

Eastern Mennonite had lost to Roanoke 69-65 earlier in the season but took control early and never looked back. The Royals led 45-32 at halftime.

Steph Rheinheimer led the Royals with 16 points while Bianca Ygarza came through with 15 points. Ygarza also pulled down six rebounds. Jess Rheinheimer scored 10 points and dished out four assists.

Presidents' Athletic Conference

Men: Delonte’ Joyce and Lawrence Weldon turned in stellar performances to help Bethany stun St. Vincent and move into a tie for first place in the conference with the Bearcats.

Joyce scored a career-high 31 points and Weldon finished with a career-high 23 points. Joyce also grabbed five rebounds, dished out five assists and racked up four steals.

Weldon connected on nine of his 10 shots from the field in the win as the Bison improved to 19-4 overall and to 12-2 in the league.

Leslie Addy scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds while Kevin Jackson, who missed the last three games, came through with 12 points. The Bison shot a blistering 63 percent from the field.

Women: Kara Seamon handed out 11 assists and 11 players scored for Washington and Jefferson, which rolled to an 86-39 win over Chatham on Saturday.

The Presidents ran their all-time record against the Cougars to 22-0. The Presidents scored 44 points in the paint and 24 off the fast break.

Southern Athletic Association

Men: Centre bounced back from its first loss in 2014 by knocking off Millsaps 90-56 on Sunday.

The Colonels, who had their 11-game win streak snapped against Birmingham Southern on Friday, drilled 18 3-pointers en route to the victory over the Majors. The 3-point total was the highest of the season for Centre and one shy of the school record.

Mike Geegan led the attack as he nailed six treys and finished with 19 points off the bench. Blake Scinta scored 15 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to record a double-double.

The Colonels remain in first place in the SAA. They are 18-4 overall and 11-1 in the league.

Women: Lauren Avant lit up the scoreboard for 30 points and helped lead Rhodes to an 80-54 win over Oglethorpe on Sunday.

The Lynx pushed their record to 19-3 overall and to 11-1 in the conference as it remains in first place in the conference. Rhodes will be the top seed in the SAA tournament.

Avant scored 19 of her points in the first half and also pulled down 12 rebounds on the day as she recorded a double-double She was 12-of-18 from the field and hit two treys. Avant also tallied three assists and three steals as

Symone Daniels came through with 11 points for Rhodes, which shot 45.6 percent from the field and held a 45-34 advantage on the boards en route to its seventh consecutive win.

Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

Men: Despite trailing by 11 at one point in the second half, Colorado College was able to put together a rally and knock off Centenary 77-70 and stay in the hunt for a conference title.

The Tigers, who are 9-4 in the SCAC, can clinch at least a share of the title if it beats Dallas and Trinity loses to Southwestern during the final week of the regular season. Centenary and Schreiner are also 9-4 in league play.

Chris Lesnansky scored 23 points in the win as the Tigers moved into a three-way tie for second and ended the Gents' seven-game win streak.

Lesnansky scored 20 or more points for the ninth time this season and Colorado College won its fifth conference road game this season.

Ryan Milne also stepped up as he scored 18 points and became only the sixth player in program history to score at least 1,500 points. His total is currently at 1,506 points. Colorado College is 16-6 overall, marking the most wins in a season since the Tigers won 17 during the 1992-93 campaign.

Women: Texas Lutheran trailed by 21 points against Trinity in the first half Friday, but the Bulldogs didn't let the deficit faze them as they battled back and earned a 74-72 win to take control of first place in the standings.

The Bulldogs have won 10 consecutive games and are 18-5 overall and 10-2 in the SCAC. The 18 wins are the second-most in program history.

Karisa Cantu helped lead the way as she scored 17 points to go along with three rebounds and three assists.

Savannah Hight scored 15 points and Kristen Lye finished with 14 points. Hight and Lye pulled down six rebounds apiece as well.

Texas Lutheran followed up the win over Trinity with a 70-56 win over Southwestern on Sunday to win its 10th consecutive game and secure the top seed in the conference tournament.

USA South Athletic Conference

Men: Patrick Dugger scored 31 points and helped LaGrange hand Maryville its first conference loss of the season in a 94-88 overtime victory on Sunday.

Dugger is the first LaGrange player to score more than 30 in a game since the 2011-12 season. He also grabbed 11 rebounds, recording his 11th double-double of the year, and blocked six shots as the Panthers won their second consecutive game.

LaGrange, which outscored Maryville 15-9 in OT,  is 14-9 overall and 8-4 in the conference. It is tied with Averett for second place.

Nick Mitchell played a key role in the win as he scored a career-high 25 points. Mark Wagner added 20 points, scoring 18 in the second half as the Panthers rallied for the win. LaGrange trailed 37-31 at halftime.

Women: Piedmont moved into second place in the South Division with a 77-70 road win over Huntingdon on Sunday.

The Lions opened the game on a 21-2 run and never looked back as they improved to 15-8 overall and to 9-5 in the conference.

Chandler Alverson paved the way as she scored 18 points. She drilled three treys and tallied four steals. Taylor Swoszowski scored 14 points and dished out four assists.