Her words echoed through Slippery Rock University's Morrow Field House: "You may be back in Butler County, but you're not in high school anymore. … Play like a college player!"

Within earshot of many, California (Pa.) University women's basketball coach Darcie Vincent intended those words for one person: sophomore center and Butler graduate Kim Nowakowski.

"Sometimes I just have to make her mad," Vincent said.

The 6-foot-2 Nowakowski leads the Vulcans with 15.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. She ranks seventh and fourth in the PSAC in those categories. Her 83.1 percent accuracy from the foul line ranks third in the league.

Yet Vincent's message is clear: Not good enough.

"She's had seven double-doubles — I expect a double-double out of her every night," Vincent said. "She's a strong horse. There's no limit to her, ability-wise."

Nowakowski scored a career-high 28 points and recorded 11 rebounds last weekend against Bloomsburg. Playing at Slippery Rock three days later, she had neither a point nor a rebound 15 minutes into the game.

The lack of production prompted Vincent's tirade from the bench.

Nowakowski responded with two field goals and three rebounds within the next minute.

"All I heard was something about not being in high school anymore," Nowakowski said. "She makes me laugh — but she does make me mad sometimes, too."

It's all part of lighting a fire under Nowakowski's potential.

"She's the most talented post player in the league, bar none," Vulcans associate head coach Heather Kearney said. "Kim can do what Kim wants to do.

"She should be averaging 20 points and 15 rebounds per game. She can score so many different ways, and her physical stature can get her the rebounds."

Nowakowski had 14 points and six rebounds in Wednesday's 62-45 win at SRU.

"If we won this game by five points, Kim would be walking out of here with 22 points and 14 rebounds," Vincent said. "She makes my head spin.

"We're trying to develop that desire in her where if she can score 50, go ahead and score 50, regardless of the score."

"I do what is needed to win," Nowakowski admitted. "I guess I'm guilty of that."

Whether the lack of hunger on the court is because Nowakowski is still a young player or because of her personality remains to be seen.

"I'm hoping it's because of her youth," Vincent said. "If not, we'll have to change her personality."

Nowakowski already has surpassed the 300-rebound mark at California. She has connected on 8 of 12 3-pointers this year after hitting just 2 of 6 attempts last year.

She insists she'll continue to improve her scoring and rebounding numbers, along with her free throws.

"I want to make a name for myself in this conference," Nowakowski said. "When the preseason (All-PSAC) selections came out, no one even knew California had a post player.

"It's taken me a year to get comfortable in Coach Vincent's system's. It's complicated. I've never played in anything like it before," she added.

Kearney is the all-time leading scorer at Slippery Rock High School and SRU. Sara McKinney was a three-time PSAC West Player of the Year at California.

Vincent coached them both — and compares Nowakowski to both.

"That's the level of player Kim's talents should be measured with," the coach said.

Kearney said the final stage of Nowakowski's development is her mental approach to the game.

"Staying focused every night, fighting through double teams, wanting the ball, that's all part of it," Kearney said. "Keeping the fire burning for 40 minutes is tough to do.

"Once you do it, you know you've arrived."

Nowakowski hasn't arrived yet.

"But I'm getting there," she said, smiling.

Through 12 games this season, Butler graduate Kim Nowakowski has shown marked improvement from her freshman to sophomore years in women’s basketball at California (Pa.).Points per gameFr. So.9.8 15.2Rebounds per gameFr. So.5.6 9.8Free throw percentageFr. So.82 83.13-point shootingFr. So.2-of-6 8-of-12Minutes per gameFr. So.23.8 27.5Double-doublesFr. So.3 7Most points in gameFr. So.18 28