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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Honegger a Gem for Falcons
March 15, 2005 | Women's Basketball
March 15, 2005
By JACK CARLE, Sentinel Sports Editor - The teams are being selected for a pick-up game of basketball. No one really knows each other, so it's a pretty good chance that Liz Honegger won't be one of the first players selected.
That's because her body type is not the stereotypical basketball shape.
However, the person giving Honegger a chance would be getting a gem.
That's the case for Curt Miller and the Bowling Green Falcons. A 5-feet-11 sophomore, Honegger is the leading scorer, leading rebounder and leading shot blocker for the Falcons this season.
Also, she's made the most 3-pointers on the team and is tied for the team lead in steals.
She's been a major part of the puzzle for the Falcons, 20-7 overall, who have earned the No. 1 seed for the Mid-American Conference tournament. Bowling Green faces Miami Wednesday at 1 p.m. in the tournament quarterfinals in Cleveland's Gund Arena.
"Liz is very, very deceptive," Miller said. "She is a phenomenal athlete, maybe our best overall athlete.
"It's not a secret that she carries a lot of weight, but she walked in here and ran a seven-minute mile," Miller added.
"There's not too many football players on our team that weigh 240 (pounds) and can run a seven-minute mile."
Honegger enjoys proving she can play Division I basketball.
"I'm not the most athletic, agile-looking person, but just a good work ethic and a good attitude helps me along," she said.
"A lot of people thought I wouldn't be able to play at this level.
"Coach Miller probably took a chance on me, realistically, because of my body type," she continued. "I think that's why a lot of recruiters or coaches or whatever stayed away from me."
Honegger comes from a very athletic family, including her parents, a sister who played basketball at Indiana and a brother who played soccer at Lincoln Junior College.
"Athletics have always been pretty much instilled in us," Honegger said. "I just tried to follow in the footsteps of my siblings."
She was a first-team all-state selection in basketball and the Indiana state champion in both the shot put and discus. But, basketball was her first love.
"The first thing that stood out was her ability to shoot the basketball," Miller said. "We thought, regardless of how her overall game at the college level would evolve, we knew that over four years she would always be able to make shots for us."
Honegger also breaks the stereotype with her ability to make the 3-pointer. She's 48-of-147 from beyond the arc this season and is already in the top 10 on BG's career-list in successful 3-pointers.
"I don't know when the 3-point shot came along," Honegger said. "When I was younger, I was an under-sized post player. So I had to be able to go outside and give that versatility."
The 3-point shot is still a work in progress. After a 0-of-6 effort from beyond the arc at Kent State on Jan. 26, Honegger immediately put on practice clothes after the bus arrived in Bowling Green and shot for an hour in the early-morning hours.
"That just shows the dedication that this kid wants to be good and how much pride she takes in her game," Miller said. "She's risen to every challenge that we've given her."
Miller added Honegger is one of the strongest players in the MAC, very mobile and durable, averaging 30.9 minutes a game.
Her biggest impact is at the defensive end of the floor, Miller said.
"She's the defensive anchor to what we do," Miller said. "She has a chance to rewrite the record books for blocked shots. And her long wing-span allows her to get a lot of deflections and steals on entry passes into the post."
Honegger hasn't forgotten about track either.
After Bowling Green's basketball season ended in the MAC championship game last year, Honegger joined the track team and ended up winning the conference title in the discus.
"Last spring semester was pretty crazy ... It was kind of stressful at times, but (it paid off) by winning the MAC championship," she said. However, right now it's all basketball.
"I don't think she's a surprise to anyone in this league," Miller said. "There's still that ooh and aah that she's as talented as she is to the average spectator.
"I think there is always a sense of, `I'm going to prove it to you' attitude out of Liz. She's breaking molds. She's proving that a big, strong, physical kid can be very, very successful."
