City of Basketball Love

By Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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OLNEY — Nicole Melious has felt free transitioning to college basketball.

There’s an uptick in pace and intensity. But there’s also been a weight lifted off her shoulders knowing she doesn’t have to do it all for her team any more.

“Nicole did mention that she's' getting used to having other people who can put the ball in the basket on her team and enjoying that,” La Salle head coach Mountain MacGillivray said.

Of course the Explorers’ freshman guard is still happy to take over when needed. 

She tallied 3,140 points in three seasons Susan E. Wagner High School in Staten Island, N.Y. and that ability to put the ball through the hoop has already translated to the next level.

The Explorers leaned on that during Melious’ career-high 22-point outing Saturday to take down American, 62-53, at Tom Gola Arena.

“From the first game to now, it’s definitely progressed well,” Melious siad. “I feel like I’m being more comfortable out there. Yes, it’s more of a high-level of competition, but I feel like it’s just skill and it’s fluently coming to me.”

MacGillivray said it took about two weeks this summer for Melious’ teammates to start looking for her on offense. He credits her “obsessive” work ethic for preparing her for the next level. She scored 16 points in the team’s opening win over Coppin State then was held to five in a loss to Maine on Wednesday.

Melious had the hot hand in the first half for La Salle (2-1) on Saturday, scoring 13 points. She drilled three triples in the last three and a half minutes of the second quarter, to help her team to a 29-14 lead at the break. The rest of the Explorers were 5-of-26 in the first half.

After American trimmed a once 19-point deficit down to six, 48-42, with 6:25 to play, Melious answered with a drive. Her final points of the game came on a 3-point shot with 2:07 to play that put La Salle back up double-digits, 58-46.

“I like it a lot better that I can trust my teammates, pass the ball and have someone else score and then get it back,” Melious said. “I was never able to go to the corner or spot up on the wing because no one else could handle the ball, so that’s something I really like.”

South Jersey product Emily Johns scored 22 points for American, and Lauren Stack added another 16. La Salle didn’t have any other double-figure scorers, but junior Gabby Turco provided a bit of everything with five points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Melious’ big shots were needed on a day the Explorers shot 32.9 percent from the floor — and just 26.7 percent when the freshman’s 9-of-17 (4-of-9 3-point range) outing isn’t included.

“We didn’t shoot the ball great. It could have been a different day, but we certainly got a lot of possessions and that’s what we’re trying to do,” MacGillivray said. “Hopefully, we’ll continue to find a way to get the ball in, but this one (Melious) was here to bail us out. Nicole made some big, big shots.”

The Explorers forced American into 23 turnovers and came away with 14 steals in the game. There were defensive lapses that led to easy looks for American, but the commitment and intensity on the defensive end is something the Explorers’ coach has been impressed by since the summer.

Melious' last three during the second-quarter spurt, which proved vital to the win, came after she dove on a loose ball, passed it ahead, then got up to drill a trail three in transition.

“I think it’s really important, especially because it’s going to get us much more possessions,” Melious said. “Going against better teams along the line, we need to get steals and be active to be able to get more possessions on offense.”

Melious’ classmate Aryss Macktoon was the team’s leading scorer through two games with outings of 17 points and 13 points. She was just 2-of-6 for seven points on Saturday but found other ways to contribute with an assist, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Freshman forward Amber Bullard, a Faith Christian product, added four points and four rebounds in a season-high 10 minutes. 

Graduate guard Molly Masciantonio has plenty of experience but even players like Turco are transitioning to the D-I level and junior forward Emilee Tahata (seven points) is seeing the first extended action of her career.

After some promising results three games in, MacGillivray is excited to see how the group develops throughout the rest of the season.

“There’s a lot of kids who can make plays, a lot of talent out there,” MacGillivray said. “It’s just getting inexperienced players comfortable and that’s going to be a process as we go through the year.”