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BY JEFF DEAN TIMES LEADER SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
Tuesday, February 08, 2000 Page: 1B
Hazleton Area girls basketball coach Joe Gavio says he can tell how big a
game is by the size of point guard Melissa Dymek’s eyes.
“She’s always strong, but she gets way up for the big games,” Gavio said.
“Lately, after every game, I find myself saying, `Now that was the best game
she’s ever had.’ ”
As the season winds down, and every game gets big, Dymek has sparked some
strong performances in her team, which is 17-4 overall and 13-1 in Wyoming
Valley Conference games.
According to Gavio, though, Dymek’s real maturity showed in Wednesday’s
60-53 victory over Wyoming Valley West – not because she had 27 points, four
assists and five rebounds, but because of the way she handled going scoreless
through the first quarter.
“Here we are, big game, television cameras, reporters, and we’re losing,
and the conference’s leading scorer has no points,” Gavio said with a laugh.
“But she didn’t panic. That’s what impressed me most. She used the extra
attention from the defense to involve her teammates.”
Not that the dry spell lasted long. In the second quarter she sank five
foul shots and three consecutive three-pointers – including one from 26 feet –
to push the Cougars to a 27-23 halftime lead. The game stayed close, but
Hazleton Area held the lead through the end.
“I finally got in the zone,” Dymek said of her hot second quarter. “I
knew I would eventually. I didn’t worry about the first quarter at all; I
don’t come into games with scoring goals anyway. I just take what the game
gives me and keep my teammates involved.”
Depending on how far the Cougars go in the playoffs, Dymek could
realistically reach 1,500 career points. She has 62 three-pointers this
season, and is averaging 21 points, seven assists, six steals and four
rebounds a game. The success dazzles even her sometimes.
“It’s been a great ride,” said Dymek, a 5-foot-9-inch senior headed to
the University of Richmond this fall. “You never really expect this much
success, individually or as a team.
“And as a team, I feel our season is really just beginning. The playoffs
are entirely different from the regular season. Records don’t matter in the
playoffs. We just have to stay up and try to go a long way.”
Getting to Know:
Melissa Dymek
Age: 17
Family: Parents Jerry and Marybeth; Brother Chris, 13.
Hometown: Hazleton
Unsung Hero: Friend and Hazleton wrestler Sam Beishline. “He stays hours
after practice playing HORSE with me. He hasn’t beaten me yet, but he’s
getting closer.”