For Immediate Release
March 8, 2012
Courtesy of the Herald News, Written by Greg Sullivan
Fall River, Mass. - Maybe due to her unusual ability to focus — a must for a scholarship basketball player and nursing major — Alex Fiola never noticed the pronunciation mistake.
It was there to be heard when the Southern Connecticut State University guard would be introduced before or during a game or for an online video. The announcer was right on with the Alex, that's easy enough, but the last name, so familiar to those in Fiola's native Fall River, was routinely mispronounced Fee-ola.
"Honestly, I didn't even realize it," Fiola said with a laugh Wednesday night from New Haven, after practice.
Those with the microphones finally seem have gotten it right, pronouncing Fiola with the long 'i' sound. And just in time, because So. Connecticut, arguably the biggest surprise of the season in women's NCAA Division 2 basketball, is headed for a major spotlight, the East Regionals this weekend at Bentley College in Waltham.
The Owls (24-5) aren't just there, they are the No. 2 seed, behind host Bentley, a team So. Connecticut beat in Waltham earlier this year.
This is an Owl team that was picked 13th out of 16 teams in the
Northeast-10 preseason rankings. They are ranked 18th
nationally.
"This is so much fun," said Fiola, a Durfee High graduate who is
carrying a 3.63 GPA. "We just love being around each other."
Fiola has been part of a rebuilt program at So. Connecticut. The national champions in 2007 under Joe Frager (now at Div. 1 Fairfield), the program was shaken in 2008-2009, Fiola's freshman season, by player discontent.
"Some players weren't buying into my system and they decided to quit the team," said fifth-year head coach Meghan Brown.
The Owls were left with seven players for the second half of that season. While it ultimately meant considerable playing time for the freshman from Fall River, the pre- and post-exodus experience was a challenge.
"Being a freshman, it was a little overwhelming," Fiola said. "I didn't know what to do. It definitely made me a little more mature. I learned a lot.
"The people who were left wanted to be there. We didn't win a lot, but we made the most of it."
For the record, Fiola said she never had any thought of transferring. "That never really crossed my mind. Coach was really positive. We were just looking to move on."
The Owls went 7-20 that year. They were 13-15 in Fiola's
sophomore season. Last year they stumbled late, finished 11-16, and
missed the conference playoffs.
That disappointment turned into motivation. So while few outside
the So. Connecticut family expected much from the 2011-2012 Owls,
the coach and players had high expectations.
"We all made a commitment to work hard," Fiola said, "to make sure what happened last year didn't happen again."
Fiola and her teammates busted their humps all spring. And summer vacation back in Fall River was no vacation. Fiola hit the gym, played in summer leagues, and worked out with Chris Herren.
In other cities and towns around the country, her teammates mirrored that commitment, and Coach Brown approached this season with a far more focused agenda. So. Connecticut would play defense. Tough defense. Killer defense. It has become their trademark.
"We bought into it," said Fiola. "The majority of practice is focused on defense. The coaches make the drills fun, make them competitive."
After starting 2-3, the tough-as-nails Owls with their nine-player roster rattled off 15 straight wins, the 14th in that streak the 63-59 upset at league champion Bentley on Jan. 28, the game that may have finally earned So. Connecticut proper respect.
"That was a big win for us," Fiola said. "All season people thought we were getting lucky, we were a fluke. That one showed people we are not a joke."
(Bentley [27-3] bounced back to defeat Southern Connecticut 79-52 in the league championship game last Sunday.)
A significant contributor off the bench over her first three seasons, Fiola, a two-year captain, has started all 29 games this season and is averaging 8.2 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. She has 73 assists and is second on the team in minutes played.
"She's quite a gem," Brown said. "She's a leader on and off the court. She's a nursing major, so she's great with her priorities and organization and focusing."
Fiola, who doesn't spend much time in front of the TV, said she's not quite sure how she's made academics and athletics fit so effectively.
"The stars have somehow aligned with my classes and clinicals," she said. "The coaches have been very flexible. Coach Brown has been great at knowing academics are the priority."
Southern Connecticut opens tournament play against seventh-seeded CW Post on Friday at 2:30 p.m. The regional continues Saturday and finishes Monday, with the survivor bound for the Elite Eight in San Antonio.
Top-seed Bentley is coming off a 79-52 romp over So. Connecticut in the Northeast-10 tourney final.
Fiola is not the only Durfee graduate in the East Regional this weekend at Bentley. Sophomore Kate McDonald (4.2 points, 2.4 assists) is the starting point guard for fifth-seeded Franklin Pierce, which meets No. 4 Pace University on Friday at 8:30 p.m.
Franklin Pierce (19-9) lost to Bentley 69-65 in double-overtime in the Northeast-10 semifinals.
