HAWAII GROWN REPORT
COURTESY OF PACIFIC
Tina Sanerivi was persuaded to try out for basketball at Farrington High School and it turned out to be a good decision.
|
|
SUCCESS STORY
Tina Sanerivi wasn't recruited, but she's made her mark at Pacific
SEE ALSO: HAWAII GROWN
NINE years ago Tina Sanerivi played organized basketball for the first time. She was a freshman at Farrington and was encouraged to come out for the junior varsity by coach Vic Jeffries, who had Sanerivi's older sister Susie on the team.
"I was taller than Susie," said Sanerivi, who found a sport that afforded her the opportunity to obtain an undergraduate degree in sports science and continue on for a teaching credential at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif.
"It took a little persuasion. Her sister was a pretty good player," said Jeffries. "I told Tina that she had height and with a whole bunch of hard work she could possibly make it to the next level. She caught on real quick."
Eight years later, as a redshirt junior, Sanerivi was the Tigers' leading scorer last season. Four games into this season, Sanerivi is again Pacific's top scorer with a 10.8 average.
Her journey needed some help at the onset, since, as a 6-foot-3 high school senior, Sanerivi was not recruited by any colleges.
"I knew I wanted to continue to play basketball and it did not matter at what level. I really didn't know how the system worked or the kind of things I needed to do," said Sanerivi. "My JV coach at Farrington sent information to colleges. I ended up at Umpqua Community College (Roseburg, Ore.)."
THAT WAS A good decision for Sanerivi. She continued to improve her basketball talents, grew two inches, did well academically and, after two years, attracted attention from NCAA Division I recruiters.
"It was a good experience for me (at Umpqua). It was a small town and there were very little distractions. I was well focused academically," said Sanerivi "I gained some knowledge of the basic things I needed to work on in basketball to prepare myself for another level."
In her second season at Umpqua, Sanerivi averaged 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game. She was named to the All-Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges second team.
The biggest adjustment for Sanerivi was not having her family around and learning how everything works in college. She enjoyed her two years at Umpqua, which included her first experience with snow.
She was recruited by Iowa State, Portland State -- where former UH assistant George Wolfe was head coach -- and Pacific. Her only recruiting trip was to Pacific and that was enough.
"I liked the size of the school and the basketball program," said Sanerivi, who redshirted her first season.
"They had a lot of senior post players and I wanted to get familiar with the program. I wanted to get ready for the next two years," said Sanerivi of the decision to wait a season before playing for the Tigers.
"The biggest thing during her redshirt year was to improve her conditioning. Tina also had a person in front of her who is now playing professionally in Europe and it was a good chance for her to see how we run things," said Pacific coach Craig Jackson. "She also improved her skills quite a bit."
The transition to Division I went well for Sanerivi. The adjustments necessary were small and last year she took over as the starting center for the Tigers.
"IT WAS NOT a surprise because that is what I worked hard for and what I'm capable of," said Sanerivi, who led the Tigers in scoring with an 11.1 average and .463 field-goal percentage.
She started 25 of 27 games, did not foul out once, and was second on the team with 157 rebounds (5.8 per game).
"Offensively, I think I can do well. I think I'm better defensively, but I have some things to work on," said Sanerivi.
She has goals, such as to play at 110 percent, to get better with each game whether the team is winning or losing, to be a leader on the court and to communicate more.
"I want to take the things I didn't achieve last year and do it this year," said Sanerivi.
"Tina is pretty hard to guard because of her size and strength. She is a big, strong kid who, by the end of the game, will wear you down," said Jackson. "She is kind of quiet, but leads by her work ethic and intensity.
"Tina is making offensive reads better, becoming a smarter player. She doesn't challenge a lot for blocks, but she can outmuscle people. If she gets in foul trouble, it's at the offensive end."
Sanerivi gets her teaching credential in May. Her first goal is to continue playing basketball. If that doesn't pan out, she plans to work with youngsters as a physical education teacher.
"She has a good chance to play pro ball," said Jackson.