Leaving it all on the court
Tia Stys is going out in style.
The 20-year-old St. Catharines native is having a strong season as a member of the Niagara Knights women’s basketball team.
The Holy Cross graduate was recently named the school’s female athlete of the week for her efforts in a pair of losses. Stys had a big night statistically, draining 22 points on the road against the Mohawk Mountaineers. Her previous career high was 17 set last season. The third-year student shot 11-for-23 from the field.
“I didn’t expect it,” she said. “My friend texted me in the morning and I was like ‘Wow.’ ”
It is the second time Stys has been honoured. She also won the award last season.
“I’m grateful I got it, but I couldn’t do it without my team,” she said. “I have been working hard in the gym and putting in extra work to get to where I need to be this year.
“I’m planning on this being my last year so I want to do good for myself and my team.”
Stys, who stands at an even six feet, is asked to use her height in the post.
“We’re not a very big team. There are only two of us who are actual forwards and the rest of us are small so I have to be the one to post up and set the screen so the others can play off it,” she said.
Stys has graduated from the Education Assistant, Special Needs Support program and is already working with the Niagara Catholic School Board and with a Community Living group home on the weekends.
“It’s gone real quick. I can’t believe I’m already in my third year,” she said. “Everything is moving really quickly. I came back just to play and I’ve been thinking about coming back next year because I still want to play.
“High school went by in the blink of an eye and now the same thing is happening here.”
Stys wants to extract as much as she can out of her playing career while she is still eligible.
“I’m young now. I’m not ready to work 9-5 everyday although I already have jobs in my field,” she said. “Later on, if I take a couple of years off, I don’t know if I would get back to how I was.”
Coverage of the Niagara Knights is made possible with the support of the Niagara College Department of Athletics & Recreation. For more information, please visit www.goknights.ca
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