Women's Basketball

Pike is a ‘Superhero' to Her Friends
March 10, 2006

By Jacob Messer
Sportswriter, The Charleston Daily Mail

Rachel Pike offers only a hint about one of her heroes in her University of Charleston basketball media guide biography.

It's Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man.

"(He) is another inspiration to me," Pike writes about the Marvel Comics and Columbia Pictures character.

"I know it sounds childish, but it isn't. If you would like to learn more about why, just ask me. It's a long story."

Fair enough. Why?

"In the second movie, he is struggling with taking on the responsibility of protecting the city from villains," Pike explained. "I felt the same way because a bunch of my friends were coming to me for help for a lot of their problems. It was stressful for me. I was questioning whether it was worth it.

"He did the same thing. Then, he talked to his uncle (who died in the first movie) during a dream. His uncle told him it was his gift and his curse, then told him he is lucky to have it and needs to use it.

"That kind of refreshed me. I felt like I was Spider-Man because I was taking on all of these other people's problems and I had my own problems and it was interfering with my life, but it was worth it because those people are important to me and I wouldn't be me if I weren't helping them."

Talk to her coaches and teammates and they likely will mention how good of a person she is as often as they mention how good of a player she is and, make no mistake, she definitely is the latter.

"She is a good friend and a good teammate," said Laura Kinsler, who has played with Pike for three years. "You know she will always be there for you.

"She will listen to you and help you no matter what your problem is. She will give you advice. She will tell you the truth, but she won't force her opinion on you. She knows how to handle problems and deal with situations."

"First of all," Golden Eagles Coach Sherry Winn added, "she is a phenomenal person."

As mentioned above, Pike is much more than that.

Pike, a 6-foot-1 junior forward, has started every game at forward for top-seeded Charleston, which hosts eighth-seeded Edinboro (Pa.) in the teams' NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament quarterfinal tonight at 6 at Eddie King Gym.

Pike ranks second in field goal shooting percentage (139-of-258 for 53.9 percent) as well as second in rebounds (5.7), third in steals (1.3), third in points (11.0) and third in minutes (25.9) per game for the Golden Eagles (28-2).

However, some of her most important contributions aren't as easily noticed.

Her defense is one. Pike limited Glenville State College star Denae Dobbins to 11 points and six rebounds five points and seven rebounds below her season averages in the West Virginia Conference Tournament championship game.

Pike also scored 14 points against the Pioneers but was more pleased with her defense than her offense.

"I like trying to stop people who are hard to stop," Pike said. "I take more pride in that."

That attitude is one reason Pike is so valuable to the third-ranked Golden Eagles, who are seeking their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Elite Eight.

"She is one of those people who truly understands the concept of a team," Winn said. "She understands who needs to get the ball in critical situations, why you run an offense and the purpose of it, the concept of what other teams are trying to do and how they are trying to score. She really and truly has the mind of a coach.

"She is a smart player and a great communicator. She recognizes adjustments we need to make and tells her teammates what we need to do and how we need to adapt. Her role varies from game-to-game.

"Sometimes, she gets touches. Sometimes, she doesn't get touches. She is very adaptable. Nothing bothers her. She accepts her role whatever that role might be for that game and does it."