Theresa Palmer Gonzaga Prep Year: Junior Sport: Basketball Position: Post

Theresa Palmer had something to prove when the Gonzaga Prep Bullpups opened their basketball season in Yakima last weekend.

“I just really wanted to show my coach and my teammates I could come through for them this year since I played behind Meredith Giesa last year,” Palmer said. “They didn’t see much of me last year.”

They saw plenty in wins over Eisenhower and Davis. Palmer totaled 26 points, hitting 5 of 7 shots both games, and grabbed 17 rebounds, six on the offensive end, surprising even herself.

“I’m not used to scoring that many points,” the 6-foot-1 post said. “I just went out there and played as hard as I could.”

Bullpups coach Mike Arte wasn’t surprised.

“I’m not surprised at all because she’s very dedicated,” he said of his post, who is also a 4.0 student in the honors program. “She’s a hard worker in everything she does.

“She did so many things well this weekend. The best thing to say about Theresa is that, in the 32 minutes of a basketball game, she’s so consistent. She’s always there defensively. She’s always there offensively. It’s nice to have a post out there that will give you quality for 32 minutes. She really understands the game.”

“I just score whenever I get an open shot or get an offensive rebound,” Palmer said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo