SLIPPERY ROCK — These days, Ali Doyle has to eat her meals through a straw.

But the only thing more painful than the Slippery Rock High junior's jaw is the discomfort opponents face trying to slow her down.

Doyle knows only one speed for the Rockets girls basketball team: full throttle.

"I'm not maybe the best shooter or the best defensive player," Doyle says painfully through lips that she can open only slightly. "But I can bring something else to the floor."

Right now, Doyle is bringing a level of toughness rarely seen.

Last week againstSharon, Doyle took a hard foul. She felt the blow on the right side of her face and knew it was more than just the normal blows she is used to taking due to her all-out style.

Later in the game, she was fouled again and slammed her head on the floor. It became apparent then that something was seriously wrong.

"At first, I was just going with it," Doyle said. "I thought maybe (the pain) will go away."

It didn't. It only grew worse.

"That's when I knew it was bad," Doyle said.

Doctors believed her jaw was broken, which likely would have shelved her for the remainder of the season. But a CATscan showed no break.

Still, Doyle is facing life on a liquid diet for at least a month.

"Well, I've been living off of apple sauce and pudding and milk shakes and Jello," Doyle said. "I can't eat much of anything. It's pretty bad."

But Doyle has rarely shied away from a challenge.

As a freshman, she played significant minutes for a Slippery Rock team that came a game away from playing for a state championship.

That team was led by Jence Rhoads, who is a sophomore guard at Vanderbilt.

She has started almost every game the last season-plus and has played 69 varsity basketball games.

Doyle gets little attention from opponents; foes are more concerned with twins Karly and Kourtney Rhoads.

Then there are fellow juniors SarahCessar and Adele Campbell to account for.

But Doyle is the Rockets' secret weapon.

She does the dirty work. She corrals loose balls, gets rebounds despite her diminutive 5-foot-2 frame and drives the opponent bonkers with her relentless defense.

She is Dennis Rodman without the tattoos.

"I like that," Doyle said. "I don't always get the credit, but I know I'm trying my best and that I'm a major part of the team out there."

Slippery Rock coach Adrienne Orris doesn't want to think about basketball life without her sparkplug.

"Not being sure if we were going to have her this week was a concern to me just because of what she brings, not on the scoreboard, but her heart and her hustle," Orris said. "She's what gets our team going. She's willing to do anything we need."

Even if that includes reigning herself in.

Doyle wasn't allowed to rebound Thursday night against rival Grove City. The risk to her jaw was too great.

Instead, Doyle turned in the best shooting night of her career, going 5-for-5 from the floor and scoring 12 points.

For Doyle, not being able to mix it up was torturous. She played a few minutes at a time before returning to the bench. She committed no fouls and was fouled just once.

There was no tumbling to the floor, no new raspberries on her knees.

It wasn't the Doyle style of basketball, but she was able to play and that was all that mattered.

"I tried to control myself," Doyle said before flashing a painful smile, "most of the time."