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March 17, 2010

Practice makes perfect

White’s work in the gym has led to late-season success in tournaments

Jayson Larson The Athens Review

SALINA, Kan. — SALINA, Kan. — Michelle White is a good example of someone who has taken a potentially bad situation and turned it into a positive.

A big positive.

A year ago, White — a sophomore from New Haven, Conn. — was getting her paperwork together and getting ready to leave Barton County (Kan.) Community College after the resignation of former head coach Jill Barclay.

The move has turned out to be a good one for the player teammates affectionately call “Swizzie.” Her new team, the Trinity Valley Community College Lady Cardinals, are at the NJCAA Women’s National Basketball Tournament here this week playing for a national championship. The team is one step closer after Tuesday night’s 70-53 win over Walters State in the opening round.

Heading into the Region XIV Conference Tournament in Tyler last week, White had been a steady player for the Lady Cardinals — but not among the team’s top scoring threats.

That changed at the regional tournament, though. White, who averaged 7.7 points per game throughout the season, elevated her game and netted an average of 16.6 points per game in the three tournament wins that qualified the Lady Cardinals to play at this week’s national tournament.

The difference, according to TVCC Interim Head Coach Elena Lovato, came in White’s work ethic at practice.

“Michelle, she’s worked hard all year,” Lovato said. “I saw a change in her practice habits and work ethic after all the drama went on (earlier this season).

“I knew it was coming because she’s been working her tail off in practice. She’s just been practicing at a whole different level.”

White’s biggest game at the regional tournament came in the Lady Cardinals’ opening-round 80-64 win over Jacksonville College. She netted 21 points, hitting three of four three-point attempts, and played a team-high 37 minutes.

Her next game wasn’t too shabby, either. White hit six of 11 shots for 16 points to go along with six assists and three steals as the Lady Cards cruised to the regional championship game with an 83-66 win over Paris.

White, who shot about 38 percent from the floor during the regular season, hit 60 percent of her shots at the regional tournament on her way to being named to the all-tournament team.

“Every practice we had before regionals, we went hard and it paid off,” White said.

To this point, White and the Lady Cards have done all they can to pull off an even bigger one. All they have to do is win a few more games.

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