Lindsay Stockton’s injury became Margreet Barhoum’s opportunity and the Montana State sophomore guard took full advantage.
Leading up to the MSU women’s basketball team’s most recent home stand, Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford talked of the importance of her point guards. Portland State employs a steady press while the Hornets of Sacramento State swarm like no other team in the country for opening tip until final buzzer. Binford prophesized that Stockton, MSU’s edgy senior point guard, and sophomore Hannah Caudill, the Big Sky Conference’s leader in assists per game, would hold the keys to MSU’s success.
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But Stockton suffered a minor head injury in the second half in MSU’s 74-64 win over Portland State. As she stood in street clothes before the Sac State tip, her all black outfit seemed symbolic of a doomed future for the Bobcats. How would MSU ever handle the relentless pressure of the Hornets without their senior captain?
Stockton, for one, had no doubt in Barhoum, a smooth guard from Edmonds, Washington who came in with the same class as Stockton but is a sophomore because of a career ravaged by injuries thus far.
“I knew she was ready,” Stockton said. “She was a little nervous just talking to me, asking for tips. But I told her to be confident. She is so good at dealing with presses in the first place, one of our best. She just needed to have her confidence and she did. She was so huge for us to get that win.”
Barhoum lived up to the confidence of her teammates, playing arguably her best game as a Bobcat. In a season-high 24 minutes, Barhoum tied a career high by scoring 13 points and also dished out four assists. Most importantly, Barhoum handled Sac’s pressure with poise, committing just one turnover as MSU rolled to a program-record 116 points in a 17-point victory.
“That’s the perfect example of a kid showing a championship mentality,” Binford said. “That’s a credit to Greet and her preparation and being ready to go. She’s such a positive kid and such a great teammate. She does anything you ask. She’s pretty transparent whether she is starting or coming off the bench, big minutes or spot minutes. She’s always a kid who can bounce back and be ready. That shows a great deal of maturity on her part. And it shows a lot of faith from her teammates.”
Sac State averages 27 forced turnovers a game and leads Division I with 16 steals per contest. Montana State committed just 12 turnovers, the least a Bunky Harkleroad team has forced in his three seasons at the helm for Sac. Barhoum and Caudill combined for 26 points, 13 assists and just three turnovers.
“I like that style, I like to get pressed, I like to attack it and I enjoy playing a fast game,” Barhoum said following Tuesday’s practice. “The timing wasn’t too bad because I do feel like I do well against a fast-paced team. I was comfortable.
“I think it’s the most important thing, staying calm and under control, not getting frantic because there is going to be somebody open when they are double teaming and trapping and pressing so finding that open player, open gaps, you have to keep your mind solid.”
Part of Sac State’s flustering tactics is to use physicality whenever the trap ensues in an effort to cause panic in their opponents. If panic does not occur, often the blitzing Hornets are called for fouls rather than forcing turnovers. Barhoum was the victim of plenty of hacks on Saturday.
The 5-foot-7 guard was able to possess the ball with strength even when encountering a host of Hornets. She was fouled throughout the game, heading to the free throw line 10 times, sinking nine from the charity stripe. She was 7-of-8 from the stripe for the season entering the game.
“We were getting fouled so it was good we were getting those calls but it was weird getting into the bonus early,” Barhoum said. “I really only went in the lane a couple of times.”
Barhoum came to Montana State four years ago as a part of a heralded Binford recruiting class. The group also includes Stockton, senior center Jasmine Hommes, senior forward Alexa Dawkins and junior forward Peyton Ferris. As a senior at Meadowdale High School, Barhoum earned 2012 Washington Associated Press All-State honors by averaging 21.3 points, 4.5 assists and 4.0 steals per game. The three-time All-Western Conference performer was the 3A WesCo Player of the Year in 2011 after averaging 22.5 points per game. She scored 1,388 points and earned four letters in her prep career.
Upon arrival at Montana State, Barhoum’s ability to create off the dribble and her quickness in getting into the lane looked like skills that might earn her minutes as a true freshman. But she suffered a knee injury that required surgery and was forced to redshirt. The other four members of her class each played as true freshman.
The following season, Barhoum returned to the rotation healthy and contributed. She played in all 30 games, averaging nearly 14 minutes per contest. She scored 5.0 points per game, reaching double figures four times and averaging 1.4 assists. Last season, six games in, the injury bug bit again and a foot injury forced her into a walking boot for the remainder of the campaign. During the off-season, she was granted a hardship medical redshirt and will have two years after this season of eligibility.
“Getting injured is not fun,” Barhoum said. “Last year with my foot, it was hard sitting out. My second redshirt year, it was pretty frustrating. Not being able to do everything with the team is not fun. But everything happens for a reason, so it will work out and it has been working out fine.
“I tried to stay positive. I try to stay positive through everything. Games like Saturday, having a good attitude no matter what and staying positive through adversity, it helps when the starter is hurt and you have to step up and pick your spot for a game. I’m happy I stayed positive through everything. It made it all worth it.”
[/restrict]Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
