BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
If she had to put the weight of the world on her shoulders in order for her team to win, then Tierney Hoo would do just that.
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Tierney Hoo accepted the challenge of being a top scorer for the Lady Vees this season. |
Entering her fourth year on the Laurentian University women?s basketball team, Hoo wanted to step up and help an extremely talented squad achieve greatness.
No small task. The Lady Vees are coming off an exceptional 2002/03 regular season where they went undefeated at 20-0, followed by a disappointing loss to Queen?s University in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East final.
Hoo, 22, believes this team, with intense commitment and effort, can not only find redemption for last season?s OUA playoff bust, but achieve something most university athletes never experience in their careers: a medal at the national level.
It will be a one-goal-at-a-time process.
?First we want to win our league so we can host in the playoffs,? said Hoo. ?Then we want to win OUA and then go to the nationals for a medal. I know we have the team that can do it.?
A lot has to be in place for these goals to be realized.
?We need to be peaking at the right time,? said Hoo. ?We need hard work and dedication from the team. Two keys
for us are to be a solid defensive defending team and rebounding. If we do that well, then we will be successful.?
With the graduation of OUA East Division MVP Clare Beatty, the team was looking for someone to embrace the role of being a big time scorer; a role Hoo grasped with eagerness.
?I wanted to step into the role of a scorer,? said Hoo. ?I have the skills to do it. Everything I have done in my whole career has prepared me for this.?
Hoo has delivered so far. The Huntsville native has produced an average of 17.4 points per game, which is good for third in OUA women?s scoring.
?Tierney is our most skilled offensive player and the focal point of our offense,? said head coach Mike Clarke. ?In
basketball, somebody has to be a go-to player and Hoo is one of them for us. Hoo?s play has opened it up for other players. It makes it hard for other teams to defend against us.?
Hoo has played with more conviction this season.
?Her confidence has improved this year,? said Clarke. ?She?s taking the responsibility on her shoulders. She set out in her mind to be a real scorer for us. She has gone out and led by example and she has everybody?s respect.?
Hoo feels a little bit of pressure to put up big numbers.
?Sometimes I feel the pressure, but our team is so talented, at any time other people can step up and score for us,? said Hoo. ?That?s the beauty of our team. We have a very deep bench.?
The strong bench is something Hoo likes a lot.
?We play full court defense all the time and play with an up tempo style,? said Hoo. ?The deep bench goes a long way when we?re playing up tempo because we can wear other teams down.?
Hoo likes the team?s chemistry, but sees consistency as a key to continued success.
?We have been amazing at times and mediocre at other times,? said Hoo. ?As long as everybody believes it?s a
process and we learn from our losses, it will give us the confidence we need in the end.?
Currently the Lady Vees record is 5-3.
Hoo is studying sports education and would eventually like to teach and coach. Hoo has numerous university accomplishments including, three straight years as a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Academic All-Canadian
and an OUA East First Team All-Star in 2002 and 2003.
