Not just a shooting star
BUTLER TWP — Casie Cygan has always been a deadly outside shooter.
A sniper from behind the arc, the Butler High graduate and sophomore on the La Roche College women's basketball team has done just as much damage this season from close range.
“Teams guard me really tight,” said Cygan, who as a freshman at La Roche was a 3-point shooting artist. Word is out and Cygan has had to hone her game.
“I've been driving more and pulling up for more jump shots,” Cygan added. “I'm so much better at that.”
Cygan has had to be. At this level, players rarely stay the same and Cygan has had to stay ahead of the curve.
Her quickness is her biggest asset. When the opponent crowds her at the 3-point line, she has shown the ability to drive to the hoop.
Cygan is also small for her position as a forward. At 5-foot-5, she is always at a height disadvantage.
“A big in high school is a small at this level,” Cygan said. “A lot of the girls I guard and girls who guard me are four or five inches taller than I am. It makes it hard to get a shot off. But I use my speed to my advantage. I'm faster than they are.”
Cygan is off to a hot start for La Roche, which won its first-ever Allegheny Mountain Collegiate College championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
The Redhawks are picked to win the conference again and are off to a 7-2 start, including a 4-0 mark in the AMCC.
Cygan is leading the team at 12.3 points per game. She is also hitting 44 percent of her 3-point shots this season.
“We only lost one starter and we beat one of the best teams in the conference by 12, so we're excited,” Cygan said. “It feels good to be starting, especially as a sophomore. Not many upperclassmen come in here and play as much as I have.”
Cygan said she never imagined being in this kind of position on a college basketball team during her days at Butler.
Cygan enjoyed a lot of success as a Golden Tornado, including section championships. During her senior year at Butler, she averaged more than 15 points per game.
Still, she had no idea where she would end up before deciding to go to La Roche.
“I didn't think I'd end up in a place like this,” Cygan said. “I'm so happy.”
Cygan, though, isn't satisfied.
She said she thinks the Redhawks can top last season with the talent currently on the roster. She also said she believes she is just scratching the surface on the quality of her play.
“My shot is really good right now, but I feel like there is room for improvement,” Cygan said. “You can't be satisfied at this level. You always have to keep working, keep getting better.”
