THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 9, 1995 TAG: 9503090562
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 108 lines
Mozambique is a country best known for cashews, cotton, and civil war.
Much of Clarisse Machanguana's childhood was spent just out of reach of a bloody 16-year struggle that eventually claimed the lives of one out of every 15 Mozambicans.
War did not intrude upon Machanguana's home in Maputo, the country's sprawling seaside capital, as much as it did the less-developed regions to the north. But for a girl of uncommon athletic ability who wanted to use those gifts to get an education, Mozambique had little to offer.
Machanguana grew to be 6-foot-4, and her skill with a basketball took her at 17 to the African National Team, then to a club team in Portugal, and finally to Norfolk.
After a season of dominating the opposition as a forward for Old Dominion, Machanguana, a sophomore in eligibility, on Wednesday was named Player of the Year in the Colonial Athletic Association.
Her parents, separated from their oldest child by more than 7,000 miles, loved her enough to let her go and gave her the courage to fulfill her dreams.
``The first thing they said was, `You have to be strong,' '' Machanguana recalled. ``My mother was a little worried, because I didn't know anyone and my English wasn't good.
``I told her, `Well, I'll survive.' ''
Clarisse Machanguana has done much more than just survive. Confronted with new coaches, new teammates and an entirely new culture, she has thrived.
Machanguana can recall without hesitation the exact day she arrived in Virginia: Aug. 23, 1994.
She and Ticha Penicheiro, her best friend and a teammate in Portugal , came to Old Dominion sight-unseen, having accepted scholarships to ODU over the University of Florida.
According to Machanguana, the Lady Monarchs' coaching staff was the deciding factor. Allison Greene, an assistant coach, is fluent in Portuguese and had spotted Machanguana and Penicheiro while playing against them in Portugal.
Head coach Wendy Larry and assistant Anne Donovan were honest about what Machanguana could expect if she came to ODU.
``Coach Wendy and Coach D didn't lie to me about the expectations they had. They told us sometimes they were going to be friends, and other times they were going to be demanding,'' she said.
According to Machanguana, the competition in the CAA is comparable to that in the Portuguese leagues. The only difference is that Larry makes her practice harder.
Which is not to say that Machanguana had any problems adjusting to Larry's system. Her physical conditioning is good, and her work ethic is unparalleled.
``Clarisse is a born scorer, and we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg,'' Larry said. ``She's quick, and she's got strength, height, and good hands. She makes good cuts to the ball and has an innate sense of where to be at the right time.''
Lately, Larry has been tinkering with Machanguana's game, trying to get her to use her left hand to score rather than always relying on her right.
``She's started to develop her left hand, against her will,'' Larry said. ``If she gets to use it as well as her right hand, no one will be able to stop her. She'll be able to score from either side of the hole at will.''
Penicheiro, whom Machanguana considers almost a sister, is the designated social coordinator for the two.
``She's a home person and I like to go out,'' Penicheiro said. ``But most of the time, I get her to come along.''
``More easily than I do, Ticha can make friends,'' Machanguana said. ``I'm not an easy person to know.''
Sitting in the lounge outside the players' locker room, Machanguana, 21, seems anything but aloof. She laughs easily and long, and smiles often.
As teammates make their way in to get ready for practice, Machanguana addresses and elicits a smile from each.
She playfully calls Nyree Roberts ``Pink Girl'' in response to the freshman's pastel shirt.
When Kelly Bradley arrives with a pillow and an armful of clothes after vacating the freshman dorm for spring break, Machanguana asks if she's having any problems moving out, and is reassured to know all is well.
``People that I've met here call me shy, but definitely I'm not. I just want to study a person first - I want to really know a person before we're friends,'' she said.
``I don't show emotion in my face, so it maybe puts off people and they don't want to come to me. Nobody has told me this, but it's the impression I take from people.''
Machanguana is a psychology major, which seems a natural fit. Because she spent the first semester taking advantage of a program that allows foreign students a light courseload, she must stay at ODU for the summer term and improve her language skills.
``I'm still thinking in Portuguese and trying to speak in English, when the structures of the words are completely different,'' she said.
After earning her degree, Machanguana will entertain the thought of playing professionally, but only if she gets a guaranteed contract. Even now, she is preparing for a life after basketball.
``I want time to do some other things. We play basketball, and it's a lovely sport - we get to travel and meet a lot of people, get a chance for scholarships,'' Machanguana said. ``But we don't have individual lives, private lives. We live in the bus, in the hotel.
``I think when you get older, you feel like there are other things you want to accomplish.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK
Staff file
Clarisse Machanguana grabs a rebound from East Carolina's Shay
Hayes. The Lady Monarchs forward is the CAA's Player of the Year.
KEYWORDS: PROFILE by CNB