NAIA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT:Lions’ dominance evident on Richter scale

For Vanguard University junior Jessica Richter, the term, ‘gym rat,’ takes on added meaning. For while this season’s Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year has certainly spent her fair share of time honing her game on the basketball court, it may be her work in the health club that has helped separate her from virtually every other player in NAIA Division I.

“Her whole family is into working out,” said Vanguard Coach Russ Davis, who has seen the 5-foot-10 Syracuse transfer help the Lions win 59 of 61 games since she arrived. “She’s one of the few people I’ve ever seen go out and lift weights before practice. And she usually works out after practice, too. I’m telling you, she’s incredible.”

Few who have seen Richter play at Vanguard (28-0), which opens the NAIA Division I Tournament as the top seed today at 10 a.m. against Harris-Stowe University of St. Louis, Mo. (13-18) at Oman Arena in Jackson, Tenn., would argue.

Richter, who averaged 20.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 2.8 assists, while shooting 51% from the field en route to first-team All-American honors last season, has stepped things up this year. Entering the tournament, where then-top-seeded Vanguard was upset in the semifinals in 2006, Richter is averaging 21.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.9 steals and 3.1 assists. She is shooting 46% from the field, but has improved her free-throw shooting to 81.3%, four points higher than last season.

“I don’t see how she won’t get NAIA Division I Player of the Year,” said Davis, who cites Richter’s athleticism and quickness, her defensive anticipation, and her burning desire to win as her best attributes.

“She’s so strong, she can take the ball from an opposing player,” Davis said. “And when she’s not doing that, she’s in the passing lanes, intercepting or tipping balls that usually lead to transition points for us.”

Offensively, Richter is an aggressive creative finisher in transition — her variety of layups and runners is just as lethal with her off (left) hand as her right — a dangerous three-point shooter, and a deft penetrator, who, despite her lofty scoring numbers, plays unselfishly.

“She reminds me of the Energizer Bunny,” Davis said. “She never stops playing hard, no matter how many minutes she plays. Her intensity level and her drive to be the best are something else. She changes the game on both ends of the court. There are times when she’s so dominant, defensively, teams won’t even go to her side of the court.”

Richter, who played with Vanguard senior point guard Tiari Goold at Oregon City High, which she helped win a pair of state championships, admitted she feels more comfortable this season at Vanguard. She gravitated to the Costa Mesa school after becoming disillusioned by a general sense of apathy among players in the Syracuse program.

“I don’t know if I’m any more productive than I was last year, but I’d say there is a different look to our team this year,” Richter said. “It helps to have a year of playing together under our belts.”

Richter’s continuing ascent has taken some of the thunder, and scoring opportunities, from senior Kelly Schmidt, the 2005-06 NAIA Player of the Year who was GSAC Player of the Year the previous two seasons before Richter won the honor this season.

But the only envy Schmidt holds for Richter has to do with her supreme skills.

“[Richter] deserves all the recognition she has gotten this year,” Schmidt said. “She works so hard. And, any time you work as hard as you can, you’re going to get results.”

Senior starter Lacey Burns said she has also enjoyed Richter’s success.

“She has improved a lot this year and it has been exciting to see her take off,” Burns said. “A lot of our energy comes through Jessica and [6-2 senior center Rachel Besse]. When they’re on, it picks us all up and we’re all able to contribute.”

When not working on her game, Richter said she frequently runs at the beach, lifts weights, plays tennis (her sports hero is Andre Agassi) or is otherwise occupied with fitness.

“I work out a bunch,” said Richter, whose family owned a health club in Montana when she was young. “I’ve been lifting since I was about 10 and there’s no substitute for strength. I guess, growing up, working out and being fit was just something that was imbedded in me. I probably do more stuff in the off-season than most players and I do some conditioning stuff on the weekends. At the gym, I like to take classes. My sister teaches a spinning class that I like to go to. I try to take days off during the season, because I know it’s important to let your body rest. But I just don’t feel good if I’m sitting around all the time.”

Despite a seemingly iron will on the court — it is Richter who usually ratchets up the intensity whenever the Lions find themselves behind — the psychology major is usually smiling and joking with teammates away from the game.

“She’s very competitive on the court, but she’s very funny and outgoing off the court,” Besse said.

Goold, who often finds Richter with long passes for layups, or spotting up beyond the three-point arc, and with whom she shares the top of Vanguard’s attacking half-court zone, said she is thankful to have Richter as a teammate.

“The thing I like most about playing with Jess is that she always has my back on the court.”

Davis grins when he points out that Richter will be back next year.

“I like to say the best two things about Jessica are that she plays for us and that she’s a junior,” Davis said.