Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Javs to get boost by center’s return

Marketplace \| Services \| Contact Us \| Community \| Arts & Entertainment \| Local Guides

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Wednesday, March 14, 2001
Javs to get boost by center’s return
Ex-Ray standout Gonzalez set to play in Elite Eight following knee injury
By Darrin Scheid
Caller-Times
Just in time for its first NCAA Division II Elite Eight tournament game in school history, the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball team will get some help with the return of injured backup center Alex Gonzalez.
   Javelinas first-year coach Debbie Robledo said Tuesday that Gonzalez, a 6-foot-3 senior from Ray High School, has recovered from a knee injury and will be available to close her final season on the court.
   The Javelinas (27-6) play a 3 p.m. game March 21 at the Mayo Civic Center Arena (cap. 5,200) in Rochester, Minn., against North Dakota.
   North Dakota has won three of the past four Division II national championships.
   Through the first 25 games this season, Gonzalez averaged 5.0 points and 2.4 rebounds serving as a backup for Precious Thibodeaux, the Lady Javelinas' leading scorer this year.
   In a 69-56 victory Feb. 10 against West Texas A&M, Gonzalez injured the medial collateral ligament in her knee and hasn't played since. Gonzalez transferred to A&M-Kingsville from Southern Mississippi before this season.
   "Alex did a good job coming in for Thibodeaux, and she took that role with a lot of pride," Robledo said. "When she went down, we didn't have anybody else to play (center), so we had to move people around and try to find some chemistry. Getting her back is going to help us in the middle, and it looks like it's going to happen."
   Help inside is what the Javelinas might need most against the Sioux (27-3).
   North Dakota's top three scorers are 6-2 senior center Theresa LeCuyer, 5-11 senior forward Mandy Arndtson and 6-1 sophomore forward Jenny Boll. LeCuyer averages 17.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, all team bests. Since transferring from Minnesota before last season, she has scored 1,021 points.
   In two North Central Regional Tournament victories, LeCuyer scored 39 points and pulled down 17 rebounds to grab co-Most Valuable Player honors in the tournament.
   "Theresa is kind of an inside-outside player," Sioux coach Gene Roebuck said. "She can post up, shoot the three, do a little bit of everything. We played St. Cloud State and Minnesota-Duluth in the tournament, and they're top players are inside players. She rose to the occasion."
   The Javelinas will counter with Thibodeaux, the South Central Regional MVP, and starting power forward Arie Wilson, a 6-2 freshman from Beaumont. In the Javelinas' 71-69 victory Saturday against Emporia State in the regional championships, Thibodeaux was in foul trouble and played only 20 minutes.
   A&M-Kingsville was forced to play Wilson at center and shooting forward Pat Lewandowski at power forward.
   The return of Gonzalez could give Robledo more options if the starting front line gets in foul trouble again, she said.
   "We had some illness and injuries that concerned us going into the regional tournament," Robledo said. "We played with a lot of renewed enthusiasm. We're very excited, and our community is very, very supportive. Kingsville is elated right now, so it's kind of fun."

Staff writer Darrin Scheid can be reached at 886-3747 or by e-mail at scheidd@caller.com

| Talk about this story | Next Story | Home |

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

[ Printer-friendly version ]
[ Subscribe to newspaper ]

SEND THIS PAGE TO A FRIEND

[an error occurred while processing this directive]