News Articles – January 12, 2001

By Gordon Engelhardt
Courier Press
(January 12, 2001)

Jackie Stiles was in a zone, a storybook land of unconsciousness of which many would-be basketball players can only dream. The last time Southwest Missouri State and the University of Evansville played each other, Stiles scored 56 points — the fourth-highest total in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history — in lifting the Bears to an 88-75 victory in the 2000 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinals at Springfield, Mo. Not only that, she accomplished the feat economically and efficiently, on a variety of drives, turnaround jumpers near the free throw line and 3-pointers. She finished 18-for-22 from the field, including 4-for-5 from 3-point range, and was 17-for-20 from the line. “It was an incredible feeling,” said Stiles, a 5-foot-8 senior guard who is leading the nation in scoring for the second consecutive season, with a 29.8 average. “I wish I could figure out how to get into that zone or whatever you want to call it more often. I felt like everything I threw up would go in. My teammates gave me great looks. We were so focused on what we had to accomplish. If we didn’t win that game, we knew we would not make the NCAA Tournament.” UE, 7-5 overall and 3-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference, hopes another Stiles onslaught is not imminent when it hosts SMS (10-3, 4-1) at 11:05 a.m. on Saturday at Roberts Stadium. While Stiles lit up the Aces in the MVC Tournament, it’s only fair to note they were the only team to hold her scoreless for an entire half last season. She came back to score 20 points in the second half of UE’s 68-55 regular-season victory at Roberts Stadium. Latasha Austin, regarded as UE’s top defender, guarded Stiles at times last season and will probably have the unenviable task on Saturday. “When I guard her, I try to deny her the ball as much as possible,” Austin said. “But she really keeps moving. You try to contain her the best you can.” Stiles, who holds the MVC’s career scoring record for women, is 11th on the NCAA Division I all-time list with 2,712 points. She scored 23 points in the 15th-ranked Bears’ 81-70 win on Thursday against Southern Illinois. “It’s a great honor. I never really put myself in this position,” said Stiles, a preseason Naismith Award finalist for Player of the Year. “I never imagined it. It’s a credit to a lot of people. There’s no way I could have done it myself. There is great community spirit in Springfield and I have great teammates and a great coaching staff. They would never let me be satisfied. They made me into a complete player.” The women’s career scoring record is 3,122 points, held by Patricia Hoskins of Mississippi Valley State (1986-89). “First of all, I try not to think about that a lot,” Stiles said, laughing. “I come into games thinking about what I need to do to help this team win. I don’t concentrate on getting points. Once you start doing that, you force things and you’re not going to be successful. I’ve had some records before, but that’s not what drives me.” A shooter is born Stiles’ unquenchable thirst to succeed began when her father, Pat, then the boys’ high school basketball coach at Claflin, Kan., taught her the fundamentals at an early age. “I love it. I couldn’t get enough,” she said. “A lot of people thought he pushed me too hard. But he would tell me to go do something else, try to have some fun.” Her kind of fun was taking 1,000 shots a day. Southern Illinois University coach Lori Opp said Stiles’ work ethic is a cornerstone of her success. “Last year the (SMS) men had a game and she was in the gym afterward shooting,” Opp said. “She shoots, if not a hundred, thousands of shots. She has the right attitude and it pays off for her. She knows how to get it done.” Playing AAU ball when she was 12, Stiles drew the attention of SMS assistant coach Lynnette Robinson. “Before that I had gone to camps, but in a small town, you didn’t have a lot of opportunities. I got on this (AAU) team and they were watching. Once (Robinson) said, ‘Keep working and you could become a Division I basketball player.’ I really set my mind on it, too. I wanted to earn a scholarship. Before I had only dreamed of walking on a Division I team. That really opened my eyes.” No matter what the circumstance, Stiles appears unshakable. And despite her accomplishments, she’s still the humble small-town girl from Claflin, a town of 678 that has one gas station and no stoplights. “I always will be,” she said. “I’m still pretty naive, even though I’ve been in Springfield four years. I’ve learned a lot and matured. Also the big thing is I’m a coach’s daughter. I have the attitude that there’s always room for improvement. “I feel like if I don’t keep working, someone out there will get the opportunity instead of me. I want to be the best I can be and the only way you can do that is by getting the most out of your God-given talents and abilities I’ve been blessed with.” Stiles is special Stiles rarely gets flustered on the floor, but off the court is another matter. At the SMS preseason banquet, her boyfriend, Matt Barrett, grabbed the microphone, dropped to a knee and proposed. She accepted. They haven’t set a date because she hopes to play professionally in the WNBA this summer. “A complete shock is the best way to describe it,” said Stiles. “For it to be in front of 600 to 800 people, it was a little embarrassing at first. I’m kind of a quiet person and for it to be on the front page of the Springfield paper the next day … “But stepping back, it was great to share that moment with so many friends and people who have supported us. I wouldn’t want to share it with anybody else. For them to share that moment, it was a pretty special night.” Special nights are what Jackie Stiles is all about.