Millham searches for success at next level

For Lisa Millham, success has become a common occurrence in her basketball career.

Her final two seasons at Notre Dame Regional High School ended in second and first-place finishes in the state tournament, respectively. The Bulldogs went 29-2 in her senior year.

A freshman at Central Missouri State University, Millham has seen the team get off to a rocky start this season. The Jennies are 7-13 and have yet to win a road game after going 21-9 last season.

"It's not fun at all, but losing never is," she said.

The Jennies' struggles shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. Only one regular starter is still around from last year.

"We're still positive. We're getting better," Millham said. "We're really lucky because everyone gets along real well. Hopefully we can pull it all together."

Millham has been part of a youth movement, making 15 starts through the early part of the season. She averages 5.6 points per game in 23.6 minutes of playing time.

Millham said she didn't expect to open the season as a starter, but said the extra playing time has helped her adjust to college basketball.

"I knew I'd get playing time. I just didn't know how much," she said. "When you get to play more, you get adjusted more."

With the Jennies still fighting for a spot in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association conference tournament, Millham and her teammates aren't looking past this season. Millham, whose sister Ashley will join her on the basketball team next season, already is eager for next season to come.

In the meantime, she will try to help her team end a seven-game losing streak and get back into the hunt for a birth in the conference tournament. The Jennies, 2-10 in the conference, sit a game out of the final spot for the conference tournament.

"We still have seven games left, so a lot can happen," Millham said.

Hyslop starting to make her mark at UMSL

While Sarah Hyslop's first year at the University of Missouri-St. Louis has not been filled with big numbers or a spot in the starting five, Hyslop is slowly making her mark on the Riverwomen.

Hyslop, a 2002 Central graduate, is one of two freshman on a squad that contains four seniors, three of which are starters. Although Hyslop has started only one game, she makes the most of her playing time, which averages 12 minutes a game.

After a strong senior season at Central, coming off the bench has been an adjustment for Hyslop. But with three seniors graduating, her time on the bench may be limited.

Hyslop said whether she's starting or coming off the bench, it's not a big concern.

"It's not huge," she said. "But I like starting the game. I feel more comfortable."

She averages about six points and two rebounds for UMSL, 9-10 overall and 4-10 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Despite scoring a season-high 16 points in a Nov. 26 matchup against Illinois-Springfield, Hyslop has increased her scoring overall the last few weeks.

"I think I'm getting more comfortable playing with them now that I know what my role is," Hyslop said.

Over the last four games Hyslop has averaged nearly 22 minutes playing time and has scored 12 points in three of the four games. In UMSL's overtime loss to Quincy University on Jan. 30, Hyslop played a season-high 25 minutes and scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

Hyslop said the Quincy game was not just a big game for her.

"It was a big step for our team," she said.

Hyslop said she has to get better and stronger on the defensive end to start increasing her playing time.

"I've had to step up my defense a lot," she said. "I have to play tougher defensively."

Noteworthy

Ross Bennett, a Central graduate and All-Big 12 performer for Baylor's baseball team last season, went 1-for-2 with 2 RBIs in the Bears' season-opening loss to Southwest Texas 9-5.

Lainie Bohnsack, a Central graduate, won the high jump at the Augustana Indoor Open in Rock Island, Ill., Jan. 11. Bohnsack, a freshman at Truman State, recorded a winning height of 5 3 1/4.

Nickey Tucker, a freshman forward at Three Rivers Community College and graduate of Fredericktown High School, is leading the 17-2 and nationally ranked women's basketball squad in rebounds at 6.3 a contest. Tucker also leads the team in free throws (95) and free throws attempted (123).

Jon Beck, a Scott City graduate, scored 12 points in Arkansas State's 67-65 win over Florida International Feb. 6. Beck averages 6.3 points a game and shoots 43.9 percent from 3-point range.