Here’s the stark reality of that worldwide video sensation known as YouTube: Search it long enough, chances are just about anything is a click away. Ask IPFW women’s tennis coach Eric Burns. He found Caterina Kiefer.FORT WAYNE – IPFW coach Chris Paul doesn’t want to get bogged down in semantics and position labels of who is a one guard and who’s a two and if you’re a four you can’t put the ball on the floor.
So when Paul handed the basketball to sophomore Haley Seibert at the end of last season and assured her that she was, without question, his point guard, that didn’t mean she had to always pass it and not shoot it.
In fact, it’s more than OK for her to let it fly; an equal opportunity green light.
Of the two games the Mastodons have played this young season, the shortest player on the team has been the leading scorer – this time with 18 points in IPFW’s 68-52 victory over Grace on Tuesday at Memorial Coliseum.
“I’m OK with that,” Paul said. “If she continues to shoot the way she’s shooting, then I’m OK with that, because if you look at it, she also had seven assists. That means she’s moving the basketball, as well.
“She’s not going to be open very often going forward now. Teams are going to know. This is two straight games, and now Ball State (IPFW’s Nov. 19 opponent) is going to know we can’t leave Haley Seibert open. And now we’re going to have to work really hard at finding her more shots.”
The 5-foot-5 native of Terre Haute was 7 of 11 from the floor, including 4 of 7 from three-point range, and added the seven assists to help IPFW to its first win. In the Mastodons’ season-opening loss to SIU Edwardsville, Seibert had 15 points.
“I’m definitely getting more comfortable,” Seibert said of the point guard spot – a position she played in high school. “(Teammate) Amanda Hyde and I were just talking about teams really don’t know about me. I really didn’t get to play much last year, so they’re kind of leaving me open right now and my teammates are finding me.”
With IPFW swapping baskets with the Lancers and leading 10-9, Seibert dropped a three-pointer from the right wing, scored on a fast break layup and hit another three to send IPFW into an 18-11 lead.
And for good measure, she hit another three with 11 minutes left in the first half to give IPFW a 23-13 lead.
Hyde was the only other IPFW player in double figures with 12.
Former Blackhawk Christian standout Allison Kauffman led Grace with 17 points.
