Florida Women’s Basketball: Yiech coming into her own with the Gators.

Freshman Nyadieng Yiech notches first career double-double.

By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com, Host of the Lowdown with Loren Meadows

Nyadieng "Nidi" Yiech (UAA photo)

If Liv McGill is Kobe Bryant, and Laila Reynolds is Lamar Odom, then freshman Nyadieng “Nidi” Yiech is starting to look like the Ron Artest of the triangle that is the Gator women’s basketball team.

The Gators got all they wanted from a physical South Alabama team Sunday but were able to put away the Jaguars in the second half en route to a convincing 75-61 victory. While Liv McGill continued her scoring punch with 32 points and 4 assists it was the play of freshman Yiech that had the Gator fans and South Alabama on notice. South Alabama came to Gainesville to scrap and claw their way to an upset of the Gators and early it looked as if they might do just that. The Gators trailed by five after the first period and it looked as if South Alabama was the more aggressive more athletic team.

To Coach Kelly Rae Finley’s credit, her team weathered the onslaught and in the second quarter inserted Yiech into the lineup to match the scrappiness of South Alabama and then some. The freshman from Calgary, Alberta made an instant impact on the defensive and offensive end defending at a high level with a block and four steals.  She also extended key possesions with three offensive rebounds. Yiech added 14 points to record her first career double-double.

It is no secret the Gators go as McGill, the steady Reynolds, and the versatile Me’Arah O’Neal go, but Yiech is starting to define her role as a Gator willing to do whatever it takes to help her team and take the physicality of the game head on.

When talking about the Yiech Liv McGill stated, “Nidi is a very good glue player and she can do a lot of things on our team. She can play two through five, and whatever coach ask her to do she does it”. McGill continued, “and she rises to the moment, she rises to the occasion whether its rebounding, finishing, giving energy, guarding the five, guarding the one, she can do a lot of things on the floor.”

Yiech is the product of a solid basketball program at Fort Erie Secondary School and under well-known coach Handel Kipp who has sent several players to top tier collegiate programs. The teaching of Kipp and her passion for the game are beginning to show as she becomes more comfortable at the collegiate level.

When asked about the increased role for Yiech over the past two weeks Coach Finley stated, "She's getting closer and closer to how she plays. You can see her becoming more and more comfortable on the floor. She's a competitor, she's versatile. She's a defensive utility player, an offensive utility player, she can play three-four-five. She understands competition. She was coached by a very talented high school coach, Coach Kip. Like he would say, outside dogs only. And that's what you're starting to see from her on the floor. We can count on her for that rebound, we can count on her for an extra possession. She shoots the three very well, she can go inside and outside and her versatility helps us be better."

Yiech won’t run up into the stands but it sounds like the championship winning forward with the Lakers to me. 

While comparisons are all fun and games and you look for an opportunity to as a fan to compare what you see to what you like. I have always compared Finley’s free flowing style of offense to the Lakers teams of the past. Finley has told her team there is “not a bad shot in this program,” not to say let it fly at random, but also don’t be afraid to be yourself and let your game shine.

McGill and Reynolds are mastering it and Yiech is learning it. With her first double-double in the books Yiech will tuck it away and look for more with a sense of purpose rarely seen in a young player.

"Even before the game, Coach Dan (Boice) harped on urgency and so that was kind of going through my brain the whole time. Just not stopping and going for every rebound."