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Posted: 3/3/02
Libby Leads Cats to First Place in America East Conference
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Libby Leads Cats to First Place in America East Conference
Senior co-captain Libby Smith, part-time golfer, part-time point guard, and part-time civil engineering student, has lead the UVM women's basketball team to a first place regular season finish in the America East Conference. The Lady Cats finished the season with a 12-game winning streak and an overall record of 20-7; 14-2 in conference play.
Libby is an outstanding player and a true team leader whose tenacity, determination, and hustle are an important reason for the team's success. Libby has started every game of her four-year career. She is third on the team in scoring averaging over ten points per game (more over the last 12 games) and has found a mid-range jump shot which she consistantly makes and is not afraid to take at critical points in games. At 5'9" she is no where near the tallest player on the team, but she leads the team in rebounding with 5.7 rebounds per game. She always seems to be in the right place at the right time. She also leads the team in assists and in steals.
Playing in her final game at Patrick Gymnasium last Thursday, Libby had her first double-double of her career with 16 points and 12 rebounds. She followed that up with another one Saturday with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Earlier, she nearly had the first triple-double in the team's history with 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists. In Saturday's final regular season game, Libby reached another milestone scoring her 1000th point in the final minutes of the game.
If you have never seen her play, you are missing something special. She is truly everywhere on the court diving for loose balls, crashing into and over tables, chairs, water coolers, and anything else that gets in the way of saving a ball from going out-of-bounds. I'm certain she leads the nation in floor burns. It will be the little things that she does on the court (the ones they don't keep stats for) that the team and the fans will miss the most after she graduates. Her intelligence, fearlessness, and a "refuse to lose" attitude will also serve her well in her bid for the LPGA.
The UVM women head to Hartford this week for the Friendship Cottage Cheese America East Women's Championship March 7-9. Check the UVM web site www.uvmathletics.com or the America East web site www.americaeast.com for more information. Also check your TV listings as some of the games may be broadcast. The winner of this tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Good luck to Libby and the rest of the Lady Cats in Hartford!
Libby's parents, Frank and Barb, are organizing the 1st Annual Lady Cats Golf Tournament Monday, May 13 at Vermont National Country Club. For more information, contact the Smith's.
