North Carolina State University Athletics
PEELER: Seniors Have Guided Turbulent Ship
2/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BY TIM PEELER
RALEIGH, N.C. – In the history of NC State athletics, few senior classes in any sport have experienced the emotional highs and lows as the four members of the women's basketball team who will play their final home game Sunday afternoon at Reynolds Coliseum.
They were freshmen in 2007, when the Wolfpack advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and became one of college basketball's most inspirational stories. That was the year that head coach Kay Yow had to take a leave of absence midway through the season, then came back to guide the inspired team to 12 wins in its final 15 games, including a big regular-season win over No. 3 North Carolina and an ACC Tournament victory over top-ranked Duke.
Last year, as juniors, they experienced perhaps the most traumatic event of their young lives, as Yow lost her long fight against cancer midway through the season.
This year, Nikitta Gartrell, Lucy Ellison, Sharnise Beal and Inga Muciniece were responsible for holding together the program as the Wolfpack made the emotional transition from Yow's 34-year legacy as head coach to first-year coach Kellie Harper. There were some rough spots, especially in January and early February, when the team hit a wall, experiencing bad practices and worse games. Perhaps the nadir came a little over two weeks ago in Durham, when the Pack suffered a 31-point loss to Duke, a game Harper has still refused to review on tape.
Who could have blamed the out-going players had they checked out, coasted to the end of the season and moved on with their lives?
That's not how they were wired.
"We have had our ups and downs, no question about it," said Gartrell, whose 11.1 scoring average is second only to sophomore Bonae Holston (11.9). "But at some point you have to put those things aside. Everything was totally new this year. We had to adjust.
"This whole season was a tough transition, but you can't just put the ball down and give up. This is not a give-up team."
That determination helped the Wolfpack go on a season-altering three-game winning streak, as it beat Miami and Boston College at home, then went to Chapel Hill to beat North Carolina. Their hopes for making the post-season were diminished with a Thursday night loss at Wake Forest. But with Sunday's regular-season finale at 2 p.m. against Georgia Tech at Reynolds Coliseum and next weekend's ACC Tournament in Greensboro, there are still opportunities to keep the season going.
In some ways, that was the goal of the season, but not the point of it. It was to put aside all that has happened over the last four years and smooth the path from Yow to Harper. And, in that, the seniors have done an excellent job.
"Your seniors are vital to success, at any program, on any level," Harper said. "We wanted them to be on board from day one. We tried to sell them on finishing strong, having a great senior year and accomplishing some of their goals.
"They are pretty motivated. They want to do things right."
Harper quickly developed strong relationships with her senior leaders, Gartrell in particular. She's in Harper's office almost every day, trying to absorb more basketball knowledge.
"She comes in to chat, to hang out, to visit," Harper said. "We have a great relationship because we have spent so much time together. It is seriously an everyday thing.
"She really stepped up in January and proved to be a great leader for this team."
Ellison was out-sized much of the season, as she played inside against much bigger players and greatly improved both her scoring and rebounding from her first three years.
"Lucy is a workhorse," said Harper. "She has given us huge minutes, battling players that are almost a foot bigger than she is. She comes to practice every day. She always brings intensity. We need her on the court because she knows what is going on.
"She is very intelligent out there and typically makes good decisions, especially on defense."
Beal, a starter throughout her career, suffered through several injuries through the season and has been limited in her contributions. But she has played well down the stretch, Harper said.
"She is starting to understand her role and how we need her to be effective," said the coach. "She is an amazing athlete. She is playing hard and practicing hard and she is very motivated on the floor."
Muciniece is still recovering from an ankle injury she suffered earlier this season. But that hasn't diminished her importance as a leader.
"Unfortunately, she is still not 100 percent yet," Harper said. "She has always been supportive, always smiling. She helps some of our younger players from the sidelines. When you can't play, you have to find other ways to contribute and she has done that."
In the end, what this year's seniors have done, Harper said, is showed the young players how to keep battling, something that will benefit those who will return in the years to come as Harper continues to build a successful program.
"The older kids have battled," Harper said. "Anyone who watches Lucy play can learn from her example of how to play play hard, how to play smart, how to take a charge.
"It's those kinds of little things here and there that they have taught our younger kids. I am proud of what they have done."
And, as their final season comes to a close, the quartet of seniors who have been through so much have reason to be proud too, especially when they see younger players like team leading scorer and sophomore Bonae Holston and freshman Marissa Kastanek step up to lead in big games.
"Next year and years from now, these younger players will be great," Gartrell said. "I truly believe we are leaving things in good hands."
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
