THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 5, 1995 TAG: 9511050263
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
It didn't take much time Saturday night before Old Dominion point guard Ticha Penicheiro slipped back into the role she is most accustomed to:
Playmaker.
Penicheiro unleashed her patented no-look passes, tenacious defense and superior court vision before Lady Monarchs fans at the team's annual Blue and White intrasquad exhibition game at the field house.
And that was just in the first five minutes.
As last year's Colonial Athletic Association rookie of the year, such skills are expected from Penicheiro. After an offseason spent playing internationally with the Portuguese National Team, it's possible the junior has gotten better.
``When you play internationally and you're the point guard, you have to control the game,'' Penicheiro said. ``It gave me a lot of experience.''
Penicheiro's Blue squad, made up of four of last year's starters, defeated the White team 52-46. Although she directed the offense effectively and was one of only two players in the game for the entire 40 minutes, Penicheiro - who finished with two points and five assists - thought she could have done more.
``I didn't play as well as I can,'' she said. ``I had a lot of turnovers, maybe because my teammates know my play and what to expect.''
Clarisse Machanguana, the CAA player of the year, dominated the paint for the Blue team, hitting 7 of 10 shots.
Esther Benjamin led all scorers with 19 points for the Blue team and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. Shonda Deberry led the White team with 14 points. by CNB