Ewu Zones In On Successful Season Missall Exemplifies Eagles’ New Focus On Work Ethic

Kristy Missall tends to appreciate the finer and fluffier things in life. Testimony to that is her favorite foods are graham crackers and frosting.

Well, low-fat frosting.

So when second-year Eastern Washington women’s basketball coach Heidi VanDerveer served her team bowls of gruel in the morning and oatmeal at night to start last year’s season, well, needless to say it was pretty tough for Missall to swallow.

“Last year was a really hard year for me,” said the 6-foot-1 center/forward from Lynnwood, Wash. “She (VanDerveer) expected things that I’d never done before. The work and the effort on the mental and physical side was all new.”

Missall returns for her senior season with the Eagles after averaging 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds a game in her junior year.

Her efforts resulted in an honorable mention on the Big Sky Conference team.

There has never been any question as to whether Missall could play basketball. In her freshman year at EWU she was the conference’s “Outstanding Freshman” and Honorable Mention All-Big Sky as she led the team in both scoring and rebounding.

But if there was a problem, it was that she accomplished all that with relative ease.

“I never really thought I was one of those kinds of players, but things did come easy and I really didn’t have to work that hard for it. I knew I would always have my spot on this team.”

VanDerveer called it her “comfort zone.”

“She coasted on her talent and she struggled when asked to get out of that comfort zone.”

But those days are gone. And after a year under VanDerveer, Missall may step into basketball’s twilight zone for the 1995-96 season.

“Her work habits have improved tremendously,” VanDerveer said. “And she is now the total package in the post.”

Missall will never be rough and tumble on the low block and in the paint. Though she is a strong player, she plays more a finesse game.

Missall is one of four starters who return. The others are forward Tina Smith (9.4 points, 6.3 rebounds), point guard Jennifer Sutter (4.6 points, 4.5 assists) and shooting guard Resa Watterson (6.4 points).

Katy Hollingbery and Elicia Sloan will contend for the starting center position while Nicole King, who redshirted last season due to a knee injury, is still trying to get her knee strong for her final year.

The Eagles also should get big contributions from newcomers Kelly Bartelson, a freshman from Shadle Park, and Tracy Ford, a freshman from University.

“Since I’ve been here, this is the deepest team I’ve ever been a part of,” Missall said. “It’s so different. We work a lot harder - a lot harder. We actually feel more like a team than ever.

“We’re really excited about this season.”

And the team has every reason to be excited. Last year, Eastern finished 12-15 overall and 8-6 in conference for a fourth-place finish. The Eagles qualified for the Big Sky post-season tournament as the No. 4 seed before losing to Montana 72-45 in the first round.

“We’re levels ahead of last year,” VanDerveer said. “They know me better, I know them better - the comfort level and expectations are a lot higher this season.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: EASTERN WASHINGTON The roster and schedule of the Eastern women’s basketball team, 12-15 overall last season, 8-6 in the Big Sky Conference.

Rosters Name Ht Position Year Hometown

Kristy Missall 6-1 Forward Senior Lynwood, Wash. Tina Smith 6-0 Forward Senior Milton, Wash. Jennifer Sutter 5-7 Guard Junior Moses Lake Resa Watterson 5-8 Guard Senior Enumclaw, Wash. Nicole King 5-11 Forward Senior Spokane Jennie Bailey 5-6 Guard Sophomore Forsyth, Mont. Katy Hollingbery 6-4 Center Sophomore Yakima Elicia Sloan 5-11 Center Sophomore Kent, Wash. Kelly Bartleson 5-10 Guard Freshman Spokane Rachel Ferguson 6-2 Forward Junior Portland Tracy Ford 5-11 Forward Freshman Spokane Shae Olson 6-3 Forward Sophomore Medford, Ore. Shana Ray 5-8 Guard Freshman Lynwood, Wash.

Schedule

Nov. 24 at Southeast Louisiana 5:15 p.m. Nov. 26 at Tulane Noon Nov. 30 vs. Gonzaga 7 p.m. Dec. 9 at Washington 7 p.m. Dec. 12 vs. Lewis & Clark 7 p.m. Dec. 15 vs. Washington State 7 p.m. Dec. 19-20 Stanford Fry’s Cardinal Classic (EWU, Auburn, Stanford, Sacramento State 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 28 at UC Santa Barbara 7:30 p.m. Dec. 30 at UC Northridge 3 p.m. Jan. 6 at Gonzaga 7 p.m. Jan. 12 vs. Boise State* 7 p.m. Jan. 13 vs. Idaho State* 7 p.m. Jan. 18 at Idaho* 7 p.m. Jan. 20 vs. Southern Utah 7 p.m. Jan. 25 at Northern Arizona* 6 p.m. Jan. 27 at Weber State* 6 p.m. Feb. 2 vs. Montana State* 7 p.m. Feb. 3 vs. Montana* 7 p.m. Feb. 9 at Idaho State* 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10 at Boise State* 6 p.m. Feb. 17 vs. Idaho* 7 p.m. Feb. 22 vs. Weber State* 7 p.m. Feb. 24 vs. Northern Arizona* 7 p.m. Mar. 1 at Montana* 6:30 p.m. Mar. 2 at Montana State* 6:30 p.m. Mar. 7-9 Big Sky Conference Tournament TBA

* - Big Sky Conference game