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Saturday
March 20, 2010 Since 1922 |
Lady Gander fires away at hoops playoffs
By Dave Rogers
The Baytown Sun Published December 18, 2009 Shooters aren’t born. They’re made. Just don’t ask Tyisha Jiles to tell you how she does it.
“It’s just a feel thing,” the Robert E. Lee senior said when asked the key to shooting a jumpshot.
But Lady Ganders coach Terry Gray offers a different sort of answer.
“Tyisha is a perfect example of working to develop a skill,” he said. “She has shot a lot of perimeter shots the last four years to get where she’s at.”
Where she’s at is the captain and leading scorer of Lee’s girls basketball team with an average of 12.5 points per game, most coming from long range.
“I’d rather shoot 3s,” she says when asked her favorite spot to shoot from. “That’s what I’m good at.”
Gray will not begin a Lady Ganders practice until Jiles first sinks 10 long-range jumpers.
That’s not quite the same pressure as what he puts on a designated player at the end of each practice: all the players must run the court end-to-end until the day’s designated shooter makes her free throws.
But Jiles, a three-year starter, and fellow seniors Felicia St. Luce and Effie Williams know something about pressure.
They were key parts of last year’s Lee team that was the first Lady Ganders basketball team since 1993 to qualify for the playoffs and the first Baytown UIL team since 2001 to win a hoops playoff game.
But the really big guns on the 2008 team that went 22-8 – post players Damequia Montgomery and Shauniece Lewis – graduated and point guard Iemah Wallace-Perry moved away.
This year’s team is off to a 7-7 start with District 21-5A play not beginning until after Christmas.
“We graduated 50 percent of our offense,” Gray said. “Last year, we played inside-out,” meaning the Lady Ganders looked to score inside first.
“This year, our experience is on the outside, so we’re playing outside-in.”
St. Luce was the first post player off the bench for Lee last year. Now she and sophomore Troynae Smith are the starters inside, while returning guard starters Williams and Jiles are joined by either Celena Bejarano or Shelby Bedinger on the wings.
“I don’t feel any pressure,” Jiles maintains. “Every game, I manage to go out and score my points like coach Gray says.”
She says Gray gave her a goal this season to score at least nine points in every game.
“I always make that goal and then more,” she said.
And as for repeating last year’s success, that’s part of the Lady Ganders’ plan.
“Last year we made it there (to the playoffs), and we want to make it there this year, too,” Jiles said. “It won’t be easy. But we have a good team and I think we have a good chance to get in the playoffs.”
Jiles said she has played basketball “since I was little” and now that she’s a senior, “I’m doing everything I wanted to do.”
That includes a lot of shooting.
“You have to work hard and focus on what you’re doing,” she said.
So what’s the difference between making a shot and missing one?
“If I don’t make them, I hear coach Gray yell,” Jiles said.
These days, the shooter gives the coach little reason to yell.
The Baytown Sun Published December 18, 2009 Shooters aren’t born. They’re made. Just don’t ask Tyisha Jiles to tell you how she does it.
“It’s just a feel thing,” the Robert E. Lee senior said when asked the key to shooting a jumpshot.
But Lady Ganders coach Terry Gray offers a different sort of answer.
“Tyisha is a perfect example of working to develop a skill,” he said. “She has shot a lot of perimeter shots the last four years to get where she’s at.”
Where she’s at is the captain and leading scorer of Lee’s girls basketball team with an average of 12.5 points per game, most coming from long range.
“I’d rather shoot 3s,” she says when asked her favorite spot to shoot from. “That’s what I’m good at.”
Gray will not begin a Lady Ganders practice until Jiles first sinks 10 long-range jumpers.
That’s not quite the same pressure as what he puts on a designated player at the end of each practice: all the players must run the court end-to-end until the day’s designated shooter makes her free throws.
But Jiles, a three-year starter, and fellow seniors Felicia St. Luce and Effie Williams know something about pressure.
They were key parts of last year’s Lee team that was the first Lady Ganders basketball team since 1993 to qualify for the playoffs and the first Baytown UIL team since 2001 to win a hoops playoff game.
But the really big guns on the 2008 team that went 22-8 – post players Damequia Montgomery and Shauniece Lewis – graduated and point guard Iemah Wallace-Perry moved away.
This year’s team is off to a 7-7 start with District 21-5A play not beginning until after Christmas.
“We graduated 50 percent of our offense,” Gray said. “Last year, we played inside-out,” meaning the Lady Ganders looked to score inside first.
“This year, our experience is on the outside, so we’re playing outside-in.”
St. Luce was the first post player off the bench for Lee last year. Now she and sophomore Troynae Smith are the starters inside, while returning guard starters Williams and Jiles are joined by either Celena Bejarano or Shelby Bedinger on the wings.
“I don’t feel any pressure,” Jiles maintains. “Every game, I manage to go out and score my points like coach Gray says.”
She says Gray gave her a goal this season to score at least nine points in every game.
“I always make that goal and then more,” she said.
And as for repeating last year’s success, that’s part of the Lady Ganders’ plan.
“Last year we made it there (to the playoffs), and we want to make it there this year, too,” Jiles said. “It won’t be easy. But we have a good team and I think we have a good chance to get in the playoffs.”
Jiles said she has played basketball “since I was little” and now that she’s a senior, “I’m doing everything I wanted to do.”
That includes a lot of shooting.
“You have to work hard and focus on what you’re doing,” she said.
So what’s the difference between making a shot and missing one?
“If I don’t make them, I hear coach Gray yell,” Jiles said.
These days, the shooter gives the coach little reason to yell.