EV Standout Triplett Riding High
Almost a year ago to the day, Rebecca Triplett tore shoulder ligaments during a playoff basketball game against Cheney.
Her doctor, said Triplett, predicted that it would take at least 11 months to heal.
Triplett’s near-miraculous recovery not only allowed her to return to basketball this winter, where she is the Border League’s fourth leading scorer, but within five months of the injury she was playing softball again.
Last fall, the East Valley High School senior was a first-team All-Frontier League volleyball player.
Tuesday, the Knights begin their quest for a repeat district basketball championship. They’ll be counting on their 6-foot post with the 14.6 scoring average.
“Rebecca has been on kind of a mission this year,” said EV coach Darsi Frazier. “She doesn’t want anything to stop her from going to state.”
A year ago at this time, Frazier was injured in a freak accident during the opening jump ball. Surgery was required and screws inserted to pin the ligament to the shoulder bone.
Prognosis for a quick return to athletics by the three-sport standout was gloomy.
“That really put me in kind of a hard position,” she said on Thursday. “I really kind of gave up at the beginning because therapy was so slow.”
It seemed like forever that she could only move her hand and elbow. She said her physical therapist, Chuck Strickell, was the one who motivated her recovery.
“He said, `It isn’t like you to be down and moping.’ I finally got to where I could start lifting weights and that got me going,” said Triplett.
She even went back to shooting baskets left-handed. In the summer, her father encouraged her to try pitching again and she threw four times for her select softball team.
“When volleyball came around, it was a different story,” Triplett continued. “I had to get my elbow and shoulder up really high to hit. That’s what hurt a lot.”
She was still good enough to help the Knights to another league and district championship and regional appearance.
Once she overcame the fear of jumping center and the physical contact of basketball, Triplett has enjoyed her finest season of three with the Knights varsity.
“Rebecca has had a tremendous season,” said Frazier. “One thing has been the guards getting her the ball. She’s also wanting to score. No fadeaway stuff, she’s going up hard. She’s in her groove right now.”
Going into Thursday’s seeding game at Cheney, Triplett had scored over 20 points in three successive games.
Triplett missed the first Cheney game. She was one of six players suspended for their involvement in a “mooning” prank on the return trip from a game in Sandpoint.
“I do want people to know it wasn’t drugs or alcohol or something like breaking the law,” Triplett said. “It was my fault because I did something boneheaded.”
The incident she admits helped her focus offensively and she hopes it will carry over into post-season.
Five players on this year’s team, including Rachelle Schultz and Andrea Tonani, played on the same AAU team.
Three of them - Malea Schumacher, Ashley LeGrant and Triplett - grew up playing softball and basketball together.
The Knights have regularly used 10 or 11 players per game, including Sarah Shogren, who’s averaging 10.7 points per game.
“Since the beginning of this season, we’ve been focused to make it to state,” said Triplett. “We have good players all around.”
Triplett would like to play basketball at Washington State University, although most of her correspondence nationwide has come from softball teams.
Considering last February’s injury, it’s remarkable she’s playing at all.