A View From Above; Norwich's Christine Daniels Tops NCAA Rankings

NORTHFIELD, Vt. - When the NCAA released their statistical leaders a couple of weeks ago, a familiar name graced the top of the charts. Out of 441 ranked Division-III women’s basketball teams, Christine Daniels, a senior captain on the women’s basketball team at Norwich University, was above and beyond any other Division-III player for double-doubles in the 2010-11 season.

Daniels had recorded 12 double-doubles at the time of the release, averaging 15.3 rebounds per game, which ranked third overall in the country.

The Norwich Cadets have played 16 games to-date and Daniels is still cruising along with 16 double-doubles with a 15.5 rebound-per-game average.

On Saturday against Emmanuel College, she became the 16^th female athlete in the history of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference to reach her 800^th career rebound. Daniels is also just 26 points away from her 1,000^th career point.

With her rising status on the NCAA statistical charts, Daniels isn’t letting the weight of it fall on her shoulders.

“I try not to think about it,” she says. “When I step on the court I just try to focus and play my game.”

Daniels leads the GNAC in both offensive and defensive rebounding and currently averages 35.6 minutes per game.

It’s easy to fall into a pre-game routine, finding yourself listening to the same music and going through the same motions to prepare yourself both physically and mentally for a game. Daniels is no different, as she admits to having things she does before each game to get focused; some that have become her superstitions.

“I listen to certain songs that get me motivated and I try to visualize the game in my head,” Daniels says.

Currently on her playlist is a range of titles and artists, from Rocky’s “Eye of the Tiger” and Akon’s “Overtime,” to Eminem’s “Not Afraid,” and “Black and Yellow” by Wiz Khalifa.

“The most important [routine] is talking to my mom and dad a couple of hours before a game so they can give me their ‘pre-game pep talk’.”

The road to success has not always been as paved as it may seem for the women’s basketball team, who are 11-5 overall and 4-1 in the conference. When Daniels returned for the 2009-10 season, it was with a new head coach, Mark Zacher, who had come to Norwich from a Division-I program, where he served as an assistant and associate head coach for 11 seasons.

“When Coach Zacher came in he made it clear that this was our team and he wasn’t trying to take it over,” Daniels remembers. “He didn’t have any preconceived notions about anyone and made it his top priority to take care of everyone on the team and treat them equally.”

During that first season, Zacher coached the team to a 20-8, 10-2 GNAC record. The Cadets were fortunate to receive a lot of support both defensively and offensively from their seniors. But, after losing five graduates and nearly 62-percent of the team’s point production and 48-percent of their rebounding, there were doubts in some minds about how much success the incoming class could deliver, and who would be the ones to step up and fill the shoes that had been left behind.

Daniels has risen to the occasion, and she isn’t the only one.

“It was hard losing the people we lost, but I was confident that the younger girls would step up and contribute more,” Daniels says. “Having Karissa [Doyon] back is definitely a big help. She is a key reason as to why we are as successful as we are right now.”

Doyon, a senior who returned to the squad after not being a member of the team last season, has made up for quite a bit of the point production that was expected to be lost. Averaging 15.3 points per game, Doyon has led the team in scoring for nine of their 16 games.

“A lot of people doubted us after we graduated five seniors, but I think we have done very well in stepping it up,” Daniels says. “We are all best friends off the court and great teammates on the court. We get along so well and spend so much time together that I think that helps us a lot when we step on the court.”

As always, hopes for post-season contention remain one of the Cadets’ primary goals.

“I feel confident that we can go far this year if we keep playing the way we are,” says Daniels.

After the Cadets’ six-game winning streak was ended by conference-rival Emmanuel College on Saturday, the team will look to get back on track as they host St. Joseph (Vt.) in Andrews Hall at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.