Gurganus looking to step up

By Pete Mollica

The senior guard knows she must be a leader under new coach Cindy Martin.

YOUNGSTOWN — Kelsey Gurganus, who begins her second season with the Youngstown State women’s basketball team, knows she must become one of the leaders for first-year coach Cindy Martin.

Gurganus, a 5-foot-8 senior guard from Indianapolis, began her career at Southern Mississippi where she played two seasons.

After starting 24 games as a true freshmen, Gurganus’ playing time dwindled as a sophomore and she elected to transfer.

After sitting out the 2006-07 season, Gurganus joined the Penguins last season and appeared in 29 games, starting 15.

She averaged 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, scoring in double figures seven times. She had a career-high 16 points in an Horizon League game against Wisconsin-Green Bay.

She’s excited about the upcoming season and working with Martin.

“The first major improvement that she’s [Martin] add to this team has been improving our mental toughness and its not just on the court, but it also carries into the classroom,” Gurganus said.

“The coach’s competitiveness has really rubbed off on all of us,” she added. “These last few weeks we’ve changed so many things and we are working so much harder and playing harder and it should make us a better team.

“Now as seniors we are expecting to have more pressure, but it’s a pressure that we put on ourselves and a pressure to work harder and harder every day,” she said.

Martin said she is counting heavily on all six seniors this season, singling out Gurganus.

“Kelsey has a tremendous work ethic and is a leader off and on the floor,” Martin said. “She plays hard on both offense and defense and will also contribute to our fast-paced offensive tempo. She has a nice pull-up jumper with 3-point range and will play one of our wing positions.”

Last season Gurganus just missed getting a double-double when she scored eight points and had nine rebounds against Miami (Ohio). She also had a career-high six assists against Detroit.

“Last season we didn’t accomplish what we set out to do, but we do feel that we improved,” Gurganus said. “Then to be picked to finish ninth in the league was really a slap in the face and we’ll do whatever it takes to prove everyone wrong.”

mollica@vindy.com