Too Late for a Player of the Year Recount?
March 2, 2005
By Mitch Vingle
The Charleston Gazette
Yes, Sherry Winn is biased. Very, as a matter of fact.
But ask her to name the best female basketball player in the West Virginia Conference this season.
And the coach points to her forward.
Quick-Lee. Easi-Lee.
Lisa Lee, said the coach, is simply the WVC’s best. Better than the conference’s award winner, Fairmont State’s Kristen Gattuso. Better than any other in the conference.
"I mean, when you talk about an all-around player — someone who can rebound; someone who can defend; someone who can create off the play; someone who can score — it’s Lisa,’’ Winn said after Lee scored 24 points and added 13 rebounds in UC’s 80-70 women’s tournament win over West Virginia State Wednesday at the Civic Center.
"If you’re talking about a scorer, well, Gattuso was the best scorer in the league. No doubt about it. Plus, you have to give a little nod to Gattuso because [the Falcons] beat us at their place.
"But there’s no player in the league who can do as many things across the board as Lisa.’’
On Wednesday, Lee did a little of everything. She drove and kicked the ball out. She brought the ball upcourt. She took an elbow to the face. She screened, blocked shots and dished assists. She hit the floor.
Perhaps Lee’s shining moment was when she drove downcourt, went behind the back on the dribble and smoothly went in for a reverse layup.
State coach Gill Heasley called her a Division I player.
"If you don’t get two people on her every time, you’re going to be hurting,’’ Heasley said. "She’ll get the stickback if she doesn’t get the first shot.’’
Still, the Yellow Jackets coach voted for Gattuso because FSC beat UC for the regular-season title. "Had UC won,’’ Heasley said, "I’d have voted for Lisa.’’
Of course, that was before Heasley watched Gattuso and top-seeded Fairmont State lose to No. 8 West Liberty 84-73 in Wednesday’s late game. Gattuso contributed a team-high 21 points, hitting 9-of-22 from the floor in a losing effort.
Most within the league agree Gattuso and Lee were the conference’s best. They were the lone repeat selections to the nine-woman all-league first team. Fairmont won the regular-season title. UC is ranked No. 1 in the NCAA’s East regional.
Want a comparison? No problem. But it’s tough because Gattuso is a 5-foot-6 guard, while Lee is a 6-foot forward.
Gattuso was a better scorer, free-throw shooter and 3-point shooter. Lee was a better rebounder (overall, offensive and defensive) and had more steals, blocked shots and field goal percentage numbers. Lee, in fact, hit 60 percent of her field goal attempts.
The other WVC player in that stratosphere was Wesleyan’s Francis Carvajal, who was the league’s No. 1 rebounder and No. 2 scorer.
Lee certainly recognizes Carvajal when asked to select the league’s best.
"I’d say it would have to be between myself and Francis Carvajal,’’ Lee said. "I’ve never played against anyone as physical and tough as her. Someone who can make an athletic move as well as I can. Or maybe even beat me.’’
Wesleyan, though, went down on Wednesday, finishing 17-12. To the victors, they say, go the spoils.
So pick your poison. Gattuso, the shooter. Lee, the sleek all-around player. Or Carvajal, the tough one.
Winn, though, knows whom she’d take first in a pickup game.
"We were really fortunate when I got to Charleston that Lisa Lee decided to go to UC,’’ Winn said. "I remember the very first game we played with Lisa in it. She made some spectacular steal. I turned around and said to my assistant coach, ‘I just became a really good coach.’ ’’