ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 25, 1997 TAG: 9702260016
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
BLACKSBURG
VIRGINIA TECH FRESHMAN center Kim Seaver already holds a school record.
It hasn't exactly been a pretty season for the Virginia Tech women's basketball team.
There has been one attractive development, however. It's called Kim Seaver.
While the injury-ravaged Hokies have lost a school-record 20 games, Seaver has cut her own record. The 6-foot-3 freshman finished the regular season with 398 points, shattering Tech's freshman record of 359 points set by Julie Williams in 1979-80.
``I never knew about it until Gary Wheat mentioned I was close one night,'' Seaver said, referring to the Virginia Tech sports information director. ``It's exciting, I guess. I never figured on doing it. In fact, I thought I'd be sitting this year. I just tried to do the best I can.''
The Hokies have needed all the help they can get and then some. Barring an upset, Tech (9-20) will play its final game of the season tonight at St.Bonaventure (13-13) in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament. (Pairings in Scoreboard. B4)
Seaver, whose 13.7-point scoring average won her a spot on the A-10's All-Rookie team announced Monday, has come up big after the Hokies lost their leading returning scorer and rebounder, junior Michelle Hollister, in the preseason. Hollister, who withdrew from school due to pregnancy, has said she plans on returning to Tech next season.
``We could have really used Michelle this season,'' Seaver said. ``It's been rough. We'd get a player back, then like the next day someone else would get hurt. I think we'll be good next season with everybody back.''
There's no reason to think Seaver won't stand tall again. The Pittsburgh native has gotten better as she has adjusted to the college game.
``I've learned more moves,'' she said. ``I needed some because in high school I could just do my turnaround jumper and get away with it.
``High school was much easier for me. My friends would be like, `You don't have to jump, why would you jump.' Here you have to jump.
``Really, I just wonder what I can do. Because this year, I don't know ... I think I can score more than that.''
Seaver, who has movie-star looks, said the toughest adjustment to college has been physical play under the basket.
``I've had to learn to become more aggressive,'' she said. ``I'm throwing the elbows around more on rebounds now. In high school I wouldn't do that because there was always the image of the rough girl and I just didn't want to be that.''
Seaver, picking at her freshly painted fingernails, said she's never been the tomboy type.
``My brother would have never let me be a tomboy and neither would my sister,'' Seaver said. ``Oh, they'd kill me if I was a tomboy. My dad would, too. That's probably why I'm not physical enough for some on the court.''
Seaver may not be a tomboy, but she's always been tall.
``I've always been a head taller than the rest of the girls - and boys,'' she said. ``I would always get on the top row of pictures oh, it was awful.''
Until college, that is.
``I like it now,'' she said. ``It's a whole lot better than in high school NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALAN KIM STAFF. A 13.7-point scoring average earned Kimby CNBSeaver a spot on the Atlantic 10's All-Rookie team. color.