You ... Got ... Swat-ted

Mount Tahoma's Shauneice Samms swatted and swatted and swatted her way into the Washington State 4A tournament record books. But is it all in her best longterm intersts?

STORY & PHOTOS BY GLENN NELSON

Mount Tahoma's Shauneice Samms gets a shot by Jackson's Sara
O'Neal for one of her record 12 blocks

TACOMA, Wash. - Imagine being in a situation where the better you become at your best skill, the more unlikely it could be to move onto the next level. Understand that and understand the trap into which Shauneice Samms has fallen.

The victim of her own success, Samms has no real options for college in spite of shattering Washington State 4A tournament records for blocked shots and rebounds. That's the consequence of being just 5 feet 9, making her feats more incredible, but the issue of where to play her that much more problematic for college coaches.

Shauneice Samms winds up for a block
on Jackson's Michelle Addington

Only a junior, Samms has 52 blocks during her tournament career, nearly doubling the previous mark of 28, set in 2000 by Emily Ashbaugh of Redmond. Samms also set a single tournament record of 31 blocks, surpassing 24 by Milena Flores of Snohomish in 1994. She reached those levels with 12 blocks during a 53-50 victory over Jackson, another single-game record, beating her own mark of 11 set two games earlier against Bellarmine Prep.

"Hopefully, we'll be back next year and she can extend it," said Mount Tahoma coach Calvin McHenry, who logged his 100th victory at the school. "It will be tough for anyone to break it."

Samms also set a single-game tournament record with 23 rebounds, also against Bellarmine Prep.

The record-breaking performance came in spite of Samms' transformation from a post, where she played her freshman year, to a point guard, where she ran the T-Birds all year. She has improved her ballhandling and passer considerably. Her perimeter shot is better, but she still is a standstill shooter.

"I think my best position in college is going to be the three (wing)," Samms said, adding about her preferred position, "I'm used to being a post, but it's more exciting being a guard."

Samms was surprised when told she had 12 blocks against Jackson and said she didn't feel like she was having a particularly successful defensive outing. She added that she continues to be surprised that, given her reputation, players keep trying to test her.

"Yeahhhh," Samms said. "Why still bring the ball on me? I'm going to jump and block your shot. Sometimes it's some 4-11 girl, too."

Mount Tahoma's Ghynecee Temple (far left) glides in for a layup

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