Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 1/14/08 Section: Sports

[Click to enlarge]

The final seconds were ticking away in the women's basketball game against Western Michigan.

The Chippewas took their positions on defense with Stacey Verhoff at point guard. Central was down 10 points and it was too late to do anything that could turn the game the other way.

But that didn't mean a thing to Verhoff. As soon as she saw Western guard Tiera DeLaHoussaye pull back and wait out the remaining seconds, Verhoff pounced on the ball and rolled around on the floor to grab it and pass it off to a teammate.

"As of late, I get frustrated," Verhoff said. "And I know that when I was getting my shots (to fall) and when I wasn't, I was going to play defense."

Verhoff had her offensive moments as well, leading the team in scoring along with three other players. She finished with 10 points and led with four assists.

On defense, Verhoff led the team with seven steals and tied for the team lead with eight rebounds. She played all but three minutes of the game.

"She's always been a hard worker," said coach Sue Guevara. "She's kind of an emotional lead and a leader by example."

Saturday's game was just another instance in the re-emergence of Verhoff.

Verhoff, who started all 30 games last season and averaged more than 21 minutes of playing time, saw limited time early in the season. She played as much as 14 minutes - only once - and as few as just three in one game, all of them coming off the bench. Her scoring was sparse as well.

"She could have easily buried her head in the sand," Guevara said. "But she didn't - she took it as a challenge and earned minutes."

But it wasn't until Dec. 17 in the team's road game in Cincinnati that Verhoff made her presence known on the floor. She came off the bench for 25 minutes, hitting 10-of-13 shots for a game-high 27 points with six rebounds.

In the following games, Verhoff saw significant time off the bench and eventually got her first start of the season Dec. 30 in the team's loss in Dayton.

"She has a better understanding of what we want," Guevara said. "Her liability was at defense - she now has a better understanding."

Verhoff, whether starting or not, has an impact on the team with the energy she brings onto the floor and hustle to the ball.

"Basketball is 99 percent mental," Verhoff said. "You expect to do well. It's being positive and expecting to win big - I'm understanding more."


sports@cm-life.com

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools