Daily Pilot College Athlete of the Month: Becki Huddle

Tony Altobelli

Despite her small frame, Vanguard University point guard Becki

Huddle stands head and shoulders above the crowd.

Generously listed at 5-foot-6, the junior from Spokane Wash. is not only

putting up the numbers point-wise, but rebound-wise as well.

“She has no fear under there,” Coach Russ Davis said of Huddle, who is

averaging nearly six rebounds a game (second-highest on the Lions’ squad)

to go along with her 13.1 points-per-game scoring average. “She’s a tough

competitor out there, both mentally and physically.”

Huddle has another reason for her Rodman-like attitude under the boards.

“I tend to drive to the hoop quite often,” the Daily Pilot College

Athlete of the Month said. “I just end up down in there. I figure that as

long as I’m down there, I might as well go for the ball.”

On a very balanced team, Huddle’s all-around play has helped lead the

senior-less Lions to their third straight Golden State Athletic

Conference title and a trip to the NAIA National Tournament in Jackson,

Tenn.

“This is such a great place to play,” Huddle, a community college

transfer from North Idaho College said. “The weather’s perfect and the

basketball program is top notch. The best thing is that we’re all coming

back next year as well.”

That’s a pretty scary thought for the rest of the GSAC. Even more scary

is that Huddle, Rachel Fikse and Marisa Emde are the only o7 juniors f7

on the team.

“It’s tough trying to be a leader when you go to a new program,” Huddle

said. “But as a point guard, you have to be the leader out there. It’s a

role I’m getting comfortable with.”

Being the point guard is also a new experience for Huddle. She was the

shooting guard at North Idaho, but she was a point guard in high school.

The prep experience is paying off. Along with solid numbers in points and

rebounds, Huddle is also averaging just over six assists per game.

“Her decision-making is superb,” Davis said. “We have a play, where she

is isolated on one side with a teammate at the wing. She can either drive

to the hoop or dish the ball off and she always seems to make the right

choice out there.”

Huddle has gotten her court smarts from years of playing and some strong

family genes. “I’ve been playing since around junior high,” Huddle said.

“My parents both played in college and I have an older sister and cousin

play as well.” Huddle said. “I even got the play against my cousin in

high school. That was pretty cool.”

In February, Huddle helped the Lions go 9-1, including the title-clinching win over Hope International with an 18-point, 11-rebound,

eight-assist performance.

“I wish I could find a way to have her shoot the ball more,” Davis said.

“She’s great at getting everyone involved, but I would like to see her

get a little more aggressive offensively.”

As hard as she bangs the boards, Huddle has also been hitting the books.

A biology major, she was named a GSAC Scholar Athlete with a 3.5 GPA.

“It’s tough trying to do both at the same time,” Huddle said of

schoolwork and basketball. “But I know all this will make me tougher and

in the long run, it’ll be better for me.”