Duke-bound Fenwick star shoots her way to the top Page 1 of 4

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Duke-bound Fenwick star shoots her way to the top

By Fred Kroner Created 03/11/2010 - 11:51pm

OAK PARK – Tricia Liston's high school basketball career is over.

The Fenwick High senior ended up on the winning team in last weekend's Class 4A third- place state tournament game.

Though there are no more games to play – until next season when she enrolls at Duke – the final chapter on her prep career has yet to be written.

"When people reflect years later on the great scorers in girls' basketball, absolutely they will say Tricia Liston," her high school coach Dave Power said. "She is the most prolific scorer I've seen at the high school level. Ever."

Liston averaged 28.8 points per game as a senior and, in her final game (40 points), moved into 14th place on the all-time IHSA scoring charts. She wound up with 2,713 points.

Liston headlines The News-Gazette's 32nd All-State team as Player of the Year.

"She is exactly like Larry Bird," Power said. "She has the ability to shoot the three or attack the basket and beat people off the dribble.

"Larry was great on the big stage, and against top competition, Tricia was able to deliver."

For Liston, comparisons between her and one of the NBA's all-time 50 greatest players are flattering, but ...

"I don't know much about Larry Bird," said Liston, who was born the year Bird retired from the NBA (1992). "I never had the chance to see him play."

What she does know is that if there was ever a temptation to believe all the kind words she's heard – which were enhanced by her current ranking as one of the country's top 50 female players – Liston was brought down to earth at home.

"I am the youngest of four girls, and they always remind me I am not that big of a deal," she said.

Her father, Brian, said the family has helped keep Tricia humble.

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"She does not believe she is the only good player around and does not take the accolades for granted," Brian Liston said.

What is a huge deal is her upbringing in the game. Brian Liston – who played four years at Loyola after graduating from Fenwick – was the first coach his daughters had.

"I had a big influence on her learning the fundamentals such as shooting, passing and dribbling the right way," he said, "but that is just a small part of why she has been successful.

"Her athletic ability, hard work, love of the game, understanding of the game, court vision and offensive creativity are all hers and can't be taught."

Her basketball IQ, as Power calls it, sets Tricia Liston apart from most of her peers.

"A gift she has is the quickness of making a decision, the right decision, and it's something she does in a fraction of a second," Power said. "Some kids take extra time, and it allows the defense to slide in there.

"Like Larry Bird, she can make quick decisions. She sees it before you see it. She catches it at the right moment."

Entering a girls' basketball program like the one Power has established at Fenwick – where his teams have secured six top-three finishes at state in the past 11 years – Tricia Liston believed her career could skyrocket.

"I never expected all of what I have accomplished, but I knew it was a possibility because of the history of Fenwick basketball and Coach Power," Tricia Liston said.

The performance of the state's Gatorade Player of the Year was outstanding, Power said, because Liston made the commitment to be in position to succeed by dedicating herself to the game.

"Sometimes players that good ease off the throttle, but she was at everything and made sure her teammates didn't cut corners," Power said.

Liston was not just a high percentage shooter (making 55.8 percent of her attempts as a senior) but a highly efficient shooter. She took an average of 16.6 shots per game, a total that is more than eight fewer per game than Olney's Brittany Johnson attempted as a senior (24.9) when she became the first athlete in state history with more than 4,000 career points.

One of Liston's most endearing traits, Power said, is there's not an ego to match her enormous reputation.

"She's a sweet girl and doesn't get caught up in stuff," Power said. "Sometimes coaches can come to practice in a bad mood, but you look at that smile of hers and lighten up real fast."

Before settling on Duke, the 6-foot Liston considered Wisconsin – where sister Clare played volleyball last year – and DePaul because "Coach (Doug) Bruno is one of the greatest women's basketball coaches around today," she said.

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Liston missed five December games while recovering from mononucleosis but was the Friars' top scorer in the 31 games she played. She eclipsed the 20-point mark in 30 of those games.

"The only one to hold her under 20 was her coach," Power said ruefully, referring to a 32- point December victory in which he removed his star after a 19-point performance.

At the next level, Power believes Liston will lead the team in the same manner she did in high school for teams that won 126 games, including 32 this season.

"I would not be surprised if she played on a championship team, like she did at Fenwick," Power said. "With the shot clock and 40-minute games, she will be a tremendous scorer."

Though Tricia Liston was known for her strong work ethic in basketball, her dad said that attitude wasn't always prevalent when it comes to doing chores.

"She is not quite so ambitious about helping out at home," he said, "but after a little negotiation, she will chip in and help when we ask her to.

"She is easy to be around at home and does not require much of a fuss, but she definitely would rather be on the court than in the kitchen."

The book on Tricia Liston Favorite athlete: Kobe Bryant I need concert tickets to: Dave Matthews Band Favorite TV shows: “The O.C.” and “One Tree Hill” For one day, I’d like to trade places with: Taylor Swift Least favorite food: Sushi Three people I’d like to have dinner with: Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Chad Michael Murray College plans: Play basketball at Duke; have an impact and grow, not only as a player but also as a person

News-Gazette Players of the Year Year Player School 2010 Tricia Liston Fenwick 2009 Adrienne GodBold Marshall 2008 Sarah Boothe Gurnee Warren 2007 Brittany Johnson Olney East Richland 2006 Brittany Johnson Olney East Richland 2005 Lindsay Schrader Bartlett 2004 Naperville Central 2003 Candace Parker Naperville Central 2002 Johanna Solverson Lake Zurich 2001 Chicago Marshall 2000 Aminata Yanni Harlem 1999 Molly McDowell Nokomis 1998 Allison Curtin Taylorville 1997 Amanda Levens Belvidere 1996 Tauja Catchings Stevenson 1995 Stevenson

http://www.news-gazette.com/print/192806 4/8/2010 Duke-bound Fenwick star shoots her way to the top Page 4 of 4

1994 Dominique Canty Chicago Young 1993 Kim Williams Chicago Marshall 1992 Kim Williams Chicago Marshall 1991 Becky Clayton Sullivan 1991 (tie) Megan Lucid Mother McAuley 1990 E.C. Hill Chicago Young 1989 Toni Foster Chicago Marshall 1988 Chicago Carver 1987 Nancy Kenelly Maine West 1986 Michele Savage IHM

All-State first-team statistics NAME SCHOOL FG-FGA 3P-3PA FT-FTA REB AST TP AVG. Marley Hall West Hancock 280-533 15-43 134-194 263 96 709 22.2 Uniquah Hampton Hillcrest 197-404 43-121 59-92 180 21 496 15.5 Whitney Holloway Montini 146-251 21-49 73-117 45 149 386 11.4 Lynette Holmes Chicago Bogan 226-489 18-48 92-122 230 30 562 17.4 Kiana Johnson Chicago Young 122-248 69-126 43-59 135 151 356 11.5 Michala Johnson Montini 139-192 0-0 43-69 199 17 321 16.9 Toni Kokenis Hinsdale Central 222-485 43-130 130-156 194 165 617 19.3 Tricia Liston Fenwick 287-514 55-144 264-302 200 83 893 28.8 Niles West 260-591 48-132 160-213 389 114 728 22.8 Ariel Massengale Bolingbrook 121-316 30-100 86-108 86 144 358 13.3 Zahna Medley Springfield 235-485 63-166 127-169 136 158 660 18.6 Jess Reinhart Bloomington CC 216-366 5-11 116-140 224 45 553 19.1 Mariah Smith Peoria Richwoods 197-403 36-138 131-169 222 52 561 15.6 Paige Spietz Brimfield n-a n-a 106-146 249 n-a 516 16.1 Bolingbrook 220-381 7-26 98-131 226 25 545 18.2

Girls' Basketball Fred Kroner News-Gazette All-State basketball

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http://www.news-gazette.com/print/192806 4/8/2010