| After an injury in the
conference semifinals, Alex Gasaway's knee no longer looks like
that. Photo by Eric Kelley, d3photography.com |
By Brian Falzarano
D3sports.com
During an otherwise benign practice drill breaking a full-court press prior to the North Coast Athletic Conference semifinals, Alex Gasaway caught a pass, made a quick burst along the baseline, rose toward the rim for a layup, then felt a twist and heard a pop.
DePauw’s junior forward knew the damage done before she underwent an MRI exam, considering she was a veteran of the same cruel fate four years earlier during her days at Crawfordsville (Ind.) High School:
A torn right anterior cruciate ligament in her knee.
Upon receiving the official diagnosis days later, Gasaway consulted with her trainers, local doctors, even her mom, about both the potential risks of playing and the proposed courses of treatment if she decided to help her top-ranked team continue along their title quest.
Ultimately, the decision proved to be a no-brainer. After missing the Tigers’ first-round victory over LaRoche, Gasaway returned to the court for a second-round triumph over Maryville before playing a pivotal role in wins over No. 21 Washington University and No. 17 Christopher Newport to clinch her program’s first Final Four trip since hoisting the Walnut and Bronze in 2007.
“My mother would like me to tell you that I considered her side of it. But at the same time she knows me so well,” Gasaway said with a laugh. “From the moment I went down, I knew it was torn.
“(But) I knew I was gonna try to play on it. (Being) six games away from a potential national championship, who wouldn’t want to be a part of it?”
Before undergoing surgery in the offseason, Gasaway will play an important part for DePauw this Friday night in the national semifinal against No. 15 Williams, a taller and longer squad than the nation’s last remaining undefeated team.
Prior to the NCAA Tournament commencing, the biggest question about the Tigers beyond whether they would avoid another early-round elimination: Would Gasaway (13.6 points, 6.1 rebounds per game) play? The buzz about this was as palpable as anything about the excitement surrounding DePauw’s NCAA debut.
| Sporting a new accessory on
her right knee, Alex Gasaway 22 points in 37 minutes of action in
the sectionals this past weekend. DePauw athletics photo |
In the week leading up to the opening weekend of bracket play, Gasaway spent nearly every waking moment outside of her classes holed up in the training room -- her roommate even brought her lunch there. She dressed for the opening-round game against LaRoche, but Tigers’ coach Kris Huffman decided not to chance playing her top player in a 30-point triumph.
The following night, the Neal Fieldhouse erupted when Gasaway rose from the bench, shed her warmups and entered the game, her right knee covered by a bulky brace. Although the junior blocked out the wall of sound surrounding her, everyone noticed the additional soundtrack provided when she converted her first basket.
“She’s a huge part of who we are,” senior forward Ellie Pearson (7.9 points, 8.1 rebounds) said. “The fans just stood up and cheered for her. She has a lot of fans here.
“I had to sprint back on defense and got a little emotional on the court. Having her out there is just really special. And she definitely deserved the ovation, that’s for sure.”
Gasaway played last weekend’s Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games after sitting out the week of practice because of the flu. Undaunted, she used the week to rest and recuperate because, as she put it, “I took that as a sign of, ‘Sit down, take the week off, and you’ll be ready for the weekend.’”
Although she is averaging 9.7 points and 15.3 minutes in three NCAA Tournament contest, her mere presence does more than inspire a sellout crowd. It also makes the Tigers that much tougher this weekend.
“She’s really one of those perfect teammates,” Huffman said. “You want to be her friend, you want to support her, because she’s going to give you the same back.”
What Gasaway and her teammates have given DePauw is its first chance to compete on the bracket’s final weekend since raising the national championship in 2007. Of their 32 wins thus far, only two have been decided by single-digit outcomes.
This opportunity means a lot to everyone within the Tigers’ ranks. Huffman put it succinctly when she said, “This is a special time for us.”
Meanwhile, Pearson lent a senior’s perspective when she said, “Celebrating last weekend to go to the Final Four is exciting, but we don’t want this to be the climax to our season … these are the games you dream about play since you were a kid. You want to compete to be the best, to see who’s the No. 1 team at the end of the day.”
DePauw will hope to make its top ranking stick this weekend, with its top frontcourt player hoping to help it cut down the nets.
“Heading to the Final Four, that’s something I’ve always dreamed of being able to say,” Gasaway said. “Hopefully our luck will continue.”