Women's Basketball Senior: Alisha Rinehart

Alisha Rinehart

By Tegan Ellis

What is your major, and how did you end up at ONU?
My major is psychology. I came here for that major but mainly for basketball.

What will you miss most about playing basketball at ONU?
The girls, they are like my family. Just being around them is a good time. I’ll miss the games too. I’ll never get the opportunity to play in a game like this again.

What were your goals for this season, and do you feel like you have accomplished them?
Our goal was to be OAC champs. That didn’t happen but we were young this year so you can’t really judge us on that. I think we had a good season and did what we could. Hopefully come tournament time we pick it up a bit.

What’s your favorite ONU basketball memory?
The best would probably be beating B-W, the first time at home. It was the first time our coaches beat them and the first time we beat them in 20 years. It was a huge accomplishment for this program. They are a very intimidating team and most teams that face them are scared. So, getting over that hill and knowing we could beat them was pretty exciting

How have you balanced an intense basketball schedule along with your studies?
Personally, I think it’s easier to take harder classes during the season because you plan better and you are on a more set schedule. You have to get things done and it makes you balance your time better. I know some people would think that’s crazy but that just seems to work for me.

As a senior, how do you feel you have led your team in a positive manor this season?
We have a lot of young girls, so being a role model for them on and off the court is important. Helping them get through tough things and just understanding what it’s like to be a freshman again. Things can get pretty overwhelming so just being there to talk and letting them know we support them is key.

Just recently you became the all time leading scorer in ONU basketball history with 1,221 career points. How did it feel to accomplish this?
It felt great. Something not a lot of people can do. I did it in high school too so it’s nice to do that in both places. I was just shooting for a thousand so breaking the record was a total surprise, especially a record that’s as old as it was. I feel very honored to have accomplished that.

The beginning of this month you were honored as the OAC player of the week. Where you expecting this and how did it feel to be honored for the week?
I had been nominated basically every week before that and I have been OAC player of the week two other times, so I wasn’t expecting it but I knew I had a good week. It definitely depends on how other girls in the league are playing that week. It was definitely an honor to get the title. It represents not only me but my team. I play well off others on my team so they definitely made the process easy. Plus, it definitely makes ONU look good, and I’m all about that.

You also got an award for the all-tournament team Trine (Ind.) Tip-off Tournament, can you tell us a little bit about this?
I had a good tournament there. They pick the top five girls to be part of the tournament team and then they picked me as an MVP. It was nice to get another award like that.

Your game has really improved over the last four years, what would you accredit to that growth?
I think being more experienced. In high school we didn’t run a lot of plays we just did whatever we wanted. Girls just got the ball and shot whenever they were open.  So, coming here was totally different. Having four other girls who are just as good if not better was definitely something I wasn’t used to on the court. I had to adjust to the new style and game speed, work extra hard and work with my teammates to improve team morale. I felt like I needed to step up because that’s what needed to be done. This was a different year because of the different team dynamics so it called for different people to step up especially being a senior and taking on that responsibility.

What would you say your greatest strengths on the court are?
Offense, I am a really good driver. My outside shot is ok I can knock It down if I need to but I’d rather drive the lane. I’m a really good free throw shooter. I’m a good leader on the court and I can tell girls where they need to be or how we can fix things. I am probably the most competitive person on the team, I hate losing and I think I can bring a confidence to our team and try to get the girls up and ready for the games.

What tips can you leave behind for your current underclassman and those to come through ONU’s basketball program in the future?
I would say stick with it. Its different going from freshman to senior year and you just need to keep focus on what your goals and team goals are. Help the other girls out and do your best. It’s definitely different for every person because each person has their own role on the team. You have some girls that play a lot and others that are on the bench. So ultimately, you just need to utilize your talents.