SLIPPERY ROCK — Marissa Siebka lay on the court Jan. 8 and clutched her left knee.

Then a junior forward on the Slippery Rock High girls basketball team, she knew her ACL was torn and she fretted about her future.

Just weeks earlier, she had verbally committed to play basketball and continue her education at Gannon University.

“When you verbally commit, it’s not official,” Siebka said.

Gannon women’s basketball coach Jim Brunelli arrived later to watch Siebka play, but didn’t see the Rockets’ star on the court or on the bench.

He asked Siebka’s parents where she was. Then they told him she had injured her knee.

“He told my parents, ‘Don’t worry about it,’” Siebka said. “‘We still want her.’”

On Wednesday, Siebka made it official, signing her letter of intent in the Slippery Rock High gym.

“That’s motivation,” Siebka said of Gannon showing loyalty to her.

And Siebka has worked hard to get back.

Just weeks after surgery, she was in the gym shooting free throws stiff-legged because she could not bend her knee.

Now, a full 10 months after the injury, her left leg is stronger than her right.

“Rehab was very intense,” Siebka said. “I spent three hours working on flexibility and all that stuff and then did some work in the gym with ball handling, even though I couldn’t play. And then I would lift. The worst part was having to sit through games and practices and open gyms knowing I couldn’t play.”

She was just cleared Oct. 27.

“My testing before surgery and after surgery showed my left leg is stronger than before I had surgery,” Siebka said.

Slippery Rock has been bit hard by the knee injury bug the last 18 months.

Forward Sedona Campbell was lost for the season before the 2014-15 campaign even started with a torn ACL. Then Siebka went down in the eighth game last year.

Recently, guard Jenna Whitmer suffered her own ACL injury.

Siebka has no trepidation about going all out for the Rockets this season.

“Oh, no, I’m perfectly fine,” Siebka said. “I’ve hit the floor and stuff many times. I know I’m fine.”

Siebka said Gannon has always been a perfect fit for her — academically and athletically.

Siebka wants to be a special education teacher and Gannon has a very good program.

“Gannon was always my No. 1 choice,” she said. “They were the first to recruit me and their education program is great. I met and love all the girls (on the basketball team) and they made me feel like I belonged.”