Pointing toward the top of the WAC
HATH-TIME By NATHAN HATHAWAY
Want to watch a top-notch player get even better? Say she isn’t
top-notch. Say she isn’t the best at what she does.
Then sit back and watch her prove you wrong.
Watch Stacy Johnson-Klein say her junior college transfer Mirenda Swearengin
is the best point guard in the Western Athletic Conference, that in a
conference with perennial national powerhouse Louisiana Tech and consistently-solid
bridesmaid Rice, no one runs her team better than this conference newcomer.
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Mirenda Swearengin came into Thursday night’s game against
Rice averaging 10.3 points and 4.3 assists . Photo by
Joseph Vasquez |
Watch Swearengin prove Johnson-Klein right — for a while.
Watch the Houston native lead the Bulldogs to a 6-0 start, the best in
school history, and average nearly 12 points per game through the non-conference
portion of Fresno State’s schedule.
Watch her score 33 points, get 12 rebounds and dish out 13 assists through
the Bulldogs’ first three WAC games, going 2-1.
Watch Swearengin lead the Bulldogs to the second-best record in the WAC
after 12 games (10-2).
Then watch Louisiana Tech’s Tasha Crain come to the Save Mart Center
and turn Johnson-Klein’s statement about her point guard on its
ear.
Watch Crain drop 28 points, pull down seven rebounds and rack up six assists
while Swearengin finishes with three points on 1-for-5 shooting, six rebounds
and three assists.
Now watch Johnson-Klein sit in her postgame press conference and second-guess
her decision to make her comments so public.
But take a peek at the schedule and see that the WAC season isn’t
even half over. There are plenty of games left in which Swearengin can
show off her wares. So watch Swearengin on the court. Watch her play without
abandon. Watch her play like the Energizer bunny on fast-forward. Watch
her score, rebound and dish the ball at will, as defenders seemingly remain
nailed to the floor.
At the same time, watch Crain continue to eat up the conference. The junior
from Kingsland, Ark., third in the WAC in scoring at 15.9 points per game,
has led her team to a 10-4 record (6-0 WAC).
But Swearengin is more than good enough to keep pace with Crain and even
challenge the Techsters’ guard for the title of best in the conference.
So with a little time and practice, Swearengin may just make an honest
coach of Johnson-Klein and, in no time at all, have us all calling her
the best point guard in the WAC.
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