By Brian Ruth
The Scene staff
Archers women’s basketball guard Deborah Holcomb has been racking up the accomplishments.
First, she was named National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Player of the Week. Then she became the first Archers shooter to score 1,000 points by hitting six shots and a free throw in the first 11 minutes of a home win against Three Rivers Community College.
Before that game, Holcomb was surprised to learn the achievement was within reach.
“I really didn’t even notice I had that many points,” she said. “I try not to even think about them.”
Holcomb, 22, is a sophomore at Forest Park. She averaged 35 points and 12 rebounds during two games the week of Jan. 5-11, which earned her the Player of the Week honor.
On Jan. 31, she was ranked second nationally in scoring with a game high of 26 points in an 88-36 rout of Wentworth Military Academy.
Holcomb was up to 23 points per game after just five starts this season, making it easy for coach Shelly Etheridge to pick her as team captain.
“She’s been our motivator all season,” Ethridge said. “She puts all the stress on herself. She is a competitor.”
St. Louis Community College Athletic Director Shawn Summe is directly involved in Player of the Week selections.
“I nominated (Holcomb) on the website,” he said. “Athletic directors can do it every week, if there are worthy players. We look at overall season stats and what the player has done during the week.
If you have a good week and in more than one game that week, you have a good chance.”
All the hoopla hasn’t changed Holcomb’s approach to getting the team into the post-season for the third time in four years.
“My goal is to always do better than the last game,” she said. “I don’t want to take any breaks. I want to keep going. It motivates my team.”
The women lost the Region XVI title game last year. Holcomb’s freshman experience in that defeat laid the groundwork for this year’s game plan.
“I’ve got to make my layups,” she said. “My drives down the court are opening up a lot more chances to shoot. Now I have to shoot.”
A return to the post-season could put Holcomb in the NJCAA All-American running. That could allow her to join another Archers player, Kasei Evans, who landed a first-team All-American spot in 2011.
Holcomb would be the first player to earn the honor since the college moved to a districtwide athletic program.
“As long as she keeps her numbers up and continues playing the way she has been, I think her chances are very high.” Ethridge said.
College coaches nominate All-American candidates, but the final nods occur at the regional level, Summe said.
For a court leader such as Holcomb, Player of the Week recognition works to the player’s advantage.
“This helps players to get recruited to another institution,” Summe said.
The victory against Three Rivers took the Archers to their third season with 20 wins or more. At press time, they were 22-6 with the closer on Feb. 21 at Forest Park against Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley.