Three-sy does it

Diana Choibekova has scored 81 three-pointers this year, 13 more than every other Winthrop player combined. Photo by Sarah Auvil • auvils@mytjnow.com

By David Thackham
thackhamd@mytjnow.com

Those who don’t lead with their speech lead by example. 

With that logic, Winthrop’s junior guard could command the women’s basketball team all the way to the program’s first Big South Conference championship without uttering a word.

Except when she’s near Mexican food. According to her coach, Marlene Stollings, Choiby, as she’s affectionately known, brightens up after some chipotle.

“She just loves chipotle,” Stollings said with a smile. “She really comes out of her shell, there’s just no substitute.”

That might explain her piping-hot performances in the past two weeks. In the past four games, Choibekova has recorded about 24% [16.7 points per game] of her team’s score and leads the country in three pointers made per game (4.3).

She doesn’t just lead her team. She leads the country.

When Choibekova was introduced to the Winthrop family in May, Stollings said she had signed the 5’11” New York, NY native to “add experience to our perimeter game” and “run the floor in transition,” skills that the junior has far exceeded.

As of Jan. 24, Choiby’s scored 81 treys this season, 13 more than every other Winthrop player combined, while still managing to lead the team for most rebounds (6.1) each game.

“She’s really matured right in front of our eyes,” Stollings said. “We’re not expecting her to hit ten threes every night (January 16 vs. Gardner-Webb), so she’s been challenged with consistency.”

Choiby’s secret to being open?

“It’s team, really,” she said. “I’m one of the shooters. I have a role and the way we play sets up my game, the way my teammates are always there for me.”

And the way Choibekova plays sets her teammates up for even more opportunities. As opponents are drawn outside the perimeter to deal with Choiby’s long bombs, sophomore guard Dequesha McClanahan and freshman guard Samiya Wright have been finding easy baskets inside the paint.

“What I saw in film last season is that [opponents] would have two, three defenders on [McClanahan], so a lot of our sets are to get her to the basket, but we know we have an added dimension.”

Is a rising junior star in women’s college basketball likely to get a big head over the high honor of leading the country in what she was signed to do? Not even close, Choibekova says.

“I don’t even think of that stuff,” she said after a win over UNC Asheville. “I’m just chilling.”

“She’s not a young lady to get caught up in that,” Stollings said. “She’s as happy as when Samiya hits six threes or Dequesha does well.

Choibekova admitted there was a transition period when she came out of her junior college (Daytona State College) to Division I.

 “It’s a different team, a different style of play. In JUCO, I was doing a little more of everything on the floor, but I’m more comfortable where I am now.“

Stollings says the business administration has thrived despite any worry of a bumpy switch. She said Choibekova has over a 3.0 GPA and speaks two languages (Russian and English).

Now that Choibekova’s settled, focused and scoring, the team can turn its focus on ranging an assault on the league. After a three game home stretch at the end of the month, Winthrop (9-8, 3-2 BSC) will likely find easy wins on the road against currently #8 UNC Asheville and last place Gardner-Webb.

“If one of us is having an off night, the other two girls can step up,” Choiby said. “This is really important now that we’re in conference [play], that way that we can have a lot of scorers come in. That’s crucial to our success.”

Choibekova, who has played over eight hours of basketball already this season, commands respect and leads by her contributions on the court. She’s not a verbal leader, but according to her, she “tries to be a leader anyway she can.”

As long as she can continue to do exactly what Coach Stollings signed her for, the Winthrop Lady Eagles will fall in step behind her in the hunt for championship glory.