Women's Hoops: Philly U's Wooding Excelling As She Savors Senior Season
By Matt Leon
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia University women's basketball team (Division II) is off to a 10-4 start this season, after rallying to beat Post University over the weekend, 79-73, in Connecticut.
In that game, center Christine Wooding racked up 25 points and nine rebounds, the latest in a season-long list of impressive performances for the six-foot senior.
Wooding is averaging a double-double for the Lady Rams, leading the squad in scoring (17.5 ppg) and rebounding (11.5 per contest).
The Mainland (New Jersey) Regional High School product is an incredibly versatile offensive player, with range that sees her occasionally hitting jumpers from just inside the three-point line. But she does her best work down low, utilizing a patented "up and under" move that leads to easy buckets and trips to the foul line, where she shoots 84 percent.
She says it's more than her skill set, however, that is leading to success.
"Also being a senior, this is my fourth year, so I'm pretty used to everything," she tells KYW Newsradio. "Everything is rolling into one. I'm pretty confident because I know what I'm doing. And I just have to focus on doing it, and putting it all together."
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Wooding's coach, Tom Shirley, says her hard work hasn't hurt either.
"I think what has made 'Wood' the player she is, has been her commitment to improving. From her inside game, to her jump shooting and rebounding, she just enjoys working at being a better player. On top of that, her fitness level is terrific, and before you know it, the complete player appears!"
Wooding has played a lot of basketball at Philadelphia University; she's been a starter since her freshman year and is approaching the 1,000-point plateau for her career (974).
And she says she is well aware that her days as a college athlete are counting down:
"Oh, yeah, and everybody keeps reminding me about it, too. It's weird, because I really only have fifty-some days left and then I'm done. And I will not have competitive basketball anymore. It's weird to think about. I'm definitely not forgetting -- everybody continues to remind me."
And as she moves closer to wrapping up her college career, she is very happy with the path she has taken.
"I definitely have no regrets. This (Philadelphia University) was definitely the choice for me. I'm glad that I made this choice -- I've loved all four years of it. I'm actually going to be really upset when I am not going to be able to do this anymore and be with the team, the coaches, just this whole atmosphere. I've just loved it."
Wooding and Philadelphia University return to the court on Tuesday night for a CACC matchup with Georgian Court University.
