GREENVILLE — Danyelle Lucido made a reputation at Grove City High School as a basketball player who was willing to do the little things.

Dive onto the court for a loose ball.

Get a key basket, steal or assist.

Play stifling defense and frustrate her opponent.

It served her well with the Eagles' girls basketball team and it's still serving her well in the next phase of her career as a freshman at Thiel College.

“Danyelle was a very gritty, hardworking player,” said Lucido's former coach at Grove City, T.L. Eller. “She was eager to do the little things such as play tough defense, set screens, get after loose balls, etc. — things that could easily be overlooked by spectators but things that make her a valuable contributor to any team.”

Lucido certainly takes pride in her feistiness.

“I've always been that type of player,” she said. “I've always been the type who enjoyed doing the 'dirty work.' That's just who I am.”

Lucido wasn't even sure if she wanted to play basketball at the next level until she began thinking about her life without it.

That's when she said she realized she had to continue her playing career.

And Thiel was the perfect fit.

“I had always wanted to go to college far away,” Lucido said. “But I realized I would regret it if I didn't play basketball.”

Kentucky was chief among her early destinations until hoops wiggled its way back into her mind.

Thiel was the perfect blend of playing opportunity and academic pursuits.

Lucido is a Management Information Systems major at Thiel.

The 5-foot-3 guard, couldn't have imagined, though, the amount of playing time she would get so soon in her career.

Lucido has played in all 10 games for the Tomcats and started three of them. She is second on the team in minutes played and is averaging 2.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and is second on the team with nine steals.

“We're in a kind of rebuilding year,” Lucido said of Thiel, which is off to an 0-10 start after a loss Wednesday in Babson Park, Fla., to Webber International University. “But I didn't expect to be playing as many minutes as I am.”

Lucido said she isn't shy about putting in the work.

She said she thinks the hard knocks the team is taking now will pay off down the road.

“The (Presidents' Athletic Conference) is tough, but I know we can compete,” Lucido said. “We have a lot of girls on this team who work hard and want to win.”

Lucido perhaps wants to win more than most.

Perhaps a quote she posted on social media sums up her drive the best.

“Somewhere behind the athlete you've become, the hours of practice, the coaches who push you, and the fans who cheer for you, is the little girl who fell in love with the sport and never looked back,” she wrote.

Eller said Lucido is only looking forward now.

“I think Danyelle will continue to get better as a college player,” Eller said, “because she is the type of kid who will continue to work on her game and improve.”