Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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penetration would get to the line, and we wanted our post players to get to the line. 1 really do think that that's come from Nikki putting in a lot of time, herself. She's much more consistent this year than she was last year. Of course, she gets a lot more opportunities and that makes you better, too. She's Miars was the vital cog tor her team tor three straight years. During her four year stint, Miars shattered the school record for career points, amassing 2,006 of them. She also played herself right onto the All-Ohio First Team during her final three seasons. After the end of Miars' senior season, she participated in the Ohio North-South All-Star game and was a finalist for the Miss Basketball crown for the state of Ohio. So, if you find yourself wondering if Miars can handle taking the reigns of Carolina's women's basketball team as just a sophomore, then wonder no more because she's had plenty of practice. "I'm giving her a pretty good bit of [leeway], in that I've let her be, I feel like, pretty comfortable with her shot selection. One thing that we stressed early on, is that we did not want to take away from her scoring opportunities since she was playing point [guard], because I think she is the best scorer that we have on the team on a consistent basis. As far as play calling, the leeway is kind of game-by-game depending how much help I feel she needs based on the opponent and how much pressure they are going to be able to put on her," Wilson said. \a: 1 ,.?1 \y/;1o?v lvuaia lias taivtii w iwuno lttway ansa iuu with it. Just before the start of every game, Miars draws the other four starters together to go over the game plan and all four watch and listen to her as if it were Coach Wilson. "1 think that you're going to see her get better and better and her teammates get more and more comfortable with her. Right now, they put a lot of confidence in her and I think as our team matures as a whole, then I think you'll see her being able to score more easily," Wilson said. Miars' teammates aren't the only ones that put a lot of confidence in her. "Go, Nikki," screams eight-year-old Ben Damour, of Columbia. Damour is one of the Lady Gamecocks' ball boys and one of the few die hard fans that the ladies have. In fact, Miars finds herself in the midst of more people in her marketing class than she ffnds herself playing before on game night. But for those that are lucky enough to see Miars play, most already know what she is capable of. v Take Carlton Thompson for example. "I think she's great. I think she's really ' good. She makes the right decisions, on the court and she's really good, " says the 43-year1 1 1 1 1 ^ ! old l nompson, wno nas Deen coming to just about every men and women's basketball 12 Garnet & Black, January, 31, 1997 just kind of stepped up there and showed a lot of poise," Lady Gamecock Head Coach Nancy Wilson said. "Miars' success from behind the foul line only complements her other basketball attributes, but none of them are as emphatic as her on-the-court presence and leadership. Leadership is nothing new for Miars. At St. Mary's High School, in St. Mary's, Ohio, I BHV' JIH^I^ ^SM m Bk ^ 14, m si. ifi i JI""P II *- ,. ~mm*W .". win JUST PASSING THROUGH: Miars blows I ing to slow Miars down. "You can understand hei game since Frank McGuire Arena was erected in 1968. Keep in mind that Thompson doesn't just dole out compliments like that to anyone, especially after seeing Lady Gamecock greats like Shelia Foster, Martha Parker, and Johnson. But neither one of these two are Miars' biggest fans. "That would have to be my family?my dad, my mom and my brother. They all were there for me. My brother pushed me really hard. He used to go out and play with me and push me and my parents never really pushed me into [a decision]. They just let me do what I wanted to do," Miars said. "Even though they don't get to see very many games, they know my game and they S|nK?^ t:^fegc#'^ ;> Jfe fe ;v' wBBMBmm j?m #* huH Rn jfl m ; B^F m, A B S%r mWx^ih W H iH H i rf , V- ^ by yet another defender on her way to the basket. Op r just by the way she looks at you," Donna Can, Mi know what's going on." Miars, in her second year of being away from home, is finally starting to get the hang of being miles and miles away from home. But last season, adapting, to a new environment and a new team posed as quite a challenge for Miars. "At first, it was really hard because I wasn't used to that. My parents and everyone had always gotten a chance to see me play a lot. To come that far away from home was a really big adjustment," Miars said. Fellow sophomore and former freshman Donna Carr, of Salisbury, N.C., can attest to the miles-from-home syndrome. "Nikki and I were roommates our freshman year. Going through your freshman year, you Jm wK* M t ^ %v fcj/mT* v | SKf iff % yflK W ^jm- ?f - . ^Pip v DHBP "'* : Robert Walton/Garnet &Black posing guards have had a problem all season tryars' friend, said. learn a lot about your players. The class that you come in with, you really are the closest with. Nikki and I formed a friendship that is 1 .1 11.. m it /* indescribable in a sense, rsnes tne sort or person that doesn't give a lot of criticism or compliments. You can understand her just by the way that she looks at you. It makes you feel really proud when she looks at you and tells you good job," Carr said. Not only does Miars make the players around her feel more confident about themselves, but she also makes them more proud of A nrl rnnsiHprino hnu/ far rhis snnhnmnrp has come over the course of a year, Miars' teammates aren't the only ones that are beaming with pride over her. Just ask Coach Wilson. 0