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An in-depth look at Division III

Posted Jan. 24, 1999

By Pat Coleman
D3hoops.com

The hottest team yet to make the rankings is probably Gallaudet’s women’s team. After a 1-3 start with losses to ranked teams such as No. 24 Defiance, No. 10 NYU and No. 19 (tied) Salisbury State, the Bison have reeled off 10 consecutive wins and are poised to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996-97.

Gallaudet junior center Ronda Jo Miller leads the nation in scoring and is in the Top Ten in rebounds and blocked shots.

Most Division III women’s fans have probably already heard of Gallaudet center Ronda Jo Miller, the 6-2 junior from Little Falls, Minn. for whom 21 points and 9 rebounds is considered an off night. Miller is averaging a career-high 28.9 points to lead the nation in scoring and is fourth in rebounds (12.9) and fifth in blocked shots (3.4). But Miller’s supporting cast is stronger this year with the return of junior Touria Ouahid from knee surgery and the maturity of sophomore Ronda Johnson.

So when the team won only one of its first four games, Kitty Baldridge, who has coached at the world's only four-year university for the deaf for 22 seasons, didn’t panic.

"We have to know what the competition is like. How do we measure up to the big teams in November? And those teams are only going to get better."

Gallaudet typically starts the practice season without enough people to run an offense. Of the nine healthy players on the roster, four play volleyball and one plays soccer, leaving four players for practice.

Gallaudet point guard Touria Ouahid is still recovering from a torn ACL that sidelined her for all but four-plus games of last season.

"Just because the nature of communication is such, it takes longer to teach things. You can’t walk through plays with your back to the players. You can’t blow the whistle and have them stop immediately," said Baldridge.

Meanwhile, Ouahid struggled in the first few games of the season, her first action since Nov. 30, 1997. "I don’t feel the pressure," says the point guard. "The only pressure I feel is what I put on myself."

"We tried hard to win for Touria last year," says Miller. "Now that she’s back it gives us a lift because we have more depth and she helps maintain control of the game."

"I’m not quite all the way back," says Ouahid. "Sometimes I feel a little bit slower than two years ago."

As a freshman, Ouahid averaged 18.3 points per game and shot 34% from three-point range and was on the way to posting similar numbers before her injury last season.

This Week Will Show Whether Bison Can Compete
The Bison are about to face another tough stretch in which they face two regionally-ranked teams on the road -- the rematch at Salisbury State on Jan. 26 and Western Maryland Jan. 28. Their current 10-game streak includes two wins against teams that went to the 1998 NCAA Tournament -- a 22-point win against Washington & Jefferson and a five-point win at St. Mary’s.

Last season this team reeled off 14 consecutive wins from Nov. 21 to Jan. 24 but went 5-6 down the stretch and lost in the CAC semifinals.

"I think we’re still evolving," said Baldridge. "Last year was a combination of things. We got hit really bad with the flu -- everyone had it over a two-week span. We didn’t weather it well and lost on the road at York (Jan. 27). We were never the same after that."

What they’ve evolved into is a team which has two viable threats from the perimeter in Therese Rollven and sophomore Ronda Johnson. Ouahid, from Stockholm, Sweden, is second on the team in scoring and leads in assists. On the inside, Miller gets all the attention but junior Jenny Cooper comes off the bench to play either position and averaged 10.6 points and 7.4 rebounds in less than 19 minutes a contest.

Friends On and Off the Floor
The team is very close-knit thanks to common backgrounds. Ronda Johnson and sister Shanada both attended the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf along with Miller and spot starter Nanette Virnig. The four Minnesotans each average at least 10 minutes per game and combine for 47.6 points per game. Ouahid and Rollven, who each come from Stockholm, combine for 21 points and 5.4 assists per game.

"This is probably collectively one of the nicest group of kids I’ve ever worked with," says Baldridge. "They’re friends on and off the court, they like and respect each other."

So what’s the problem with that?

"Sometimes that’s been a problem because they don’t hold their teammates accountable when something bad happens."

The tightness of the group has helped the team cope with the extra attention Miller’s play and the team’s success has brought to the program.

"It’s nice to be recognized," says Miller, a first-team member of the D3hoops.com Team of the Year. "My teammates are very supportive of me. If it weren’t for them I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing and they know that."

Miller has seen more defensive attention each season, yet her scoring numbers continue to increase. She averaged 22.4 points as a freshman, 28.7 as a sophomore and was at 28.9 through Jan. 24. "There’s always more than one person guarding me now. I really feel more defensive pressure," says Miller.

Miller could have chosen to pursue Division I scholarship offers but preferred the world’s only four-year school for the deaf. "I had decided at a very early age to come to Gallaudet. It’s the only place I knew I was going to be happy."

Her goal is to play in the WNBA. "I’d like to," says the 6-foot-2 center. "I’m working on improving my defense. "I feel like I’ve gotten better in all aspects of my game. In high school rebounding was really easy. Here I have to work to get rebounds. It’s really helped step up my game." Miller’s ball-handling skills could enable her to play as a small forward if the need arose.

"I expected she was going to be a decent player," says Baldridge. "But I didn’t envision her having the type of talent she has."

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