Candice Eyerman always had a keen shooting eye. But not many colleges had their eye on her.

The 5-foot-5 guard connected for 51 3-pointers during her senior year at Seneca Valley and averaged nearly 12 points per game.

"I didn't hear from too many colleges," she said. "I didn't know if I'd play college ball or not. But an assistant coach from Waynesburg had come to a few of my games and convinced me to go there.

"He said the coach likes to shoot the 3. I figured I could at least do that."

She's done that and more.

A third-year starter at Waynesburg College, Eyerman leads the President's Athletic Conference with 35 3-pointers through nine games this season. Teammate Katie Lewandowski is second in the PAC with 14 treys.

Waynesburg has connected for more than 70 3-pointers as a team. No other PAC team has collected as many as 30.

Eyerman entered this season already owning Waynesburg records of 450 3-point shots attempted and 181 made.

"I've always run an offense that shoots the 3," Waynesburg coach Terry Acker said. "I like it because it forces opposing teams to come out and guard it, which opens up other things.

"I coached for nine years at Clarion and we ran the same type of attack. When I came to Waynesburg, I brought that philosophy with me and began looking for players to fit the bill. Candice is certainly one of them."

The Yellowjackets finished second in NCAA Division III last year with 9.8 3-pointers per game. They are posting similar numbers this season.

Last year's team finished 9-16 overall, 1-9 in the PAC. This year's team is off to a 5-4 start.

"The difference is we're figuring out how to make this offense work for us," Acker said. "It's not just standing behind the arc and tossing shots up. It's about using the threat of doing so."

Eyerman has become a more complete player as a result. Not only does she lead the team - and stand third in the PAC - with 15.1 points per game, she is among the league leaders with 5.7 rebounds per game and leads the Yellowjackets with 10 steals.

Eyerman is also averaging 40 percent from the 3-point stripe and 42 percent from the floor overall, again ranking among the PAC leaders.

"Her shot selection has improved as she continues to work on her game," Acker said. "Candice puts the ball on the floor and penetrates a lot more. She's becoming a complete player."

And she's still shooting the 3-ball.

"I love it here," she said. "This offense, shooting the 3 - It's what I do.

"I take pride in other phases of the game. For rebounding, I just throw my body in there. Sometimes the ball will hit the floor and I'll be the one to come out of there with it."

Eyerman said Washington & Jefferson has four starters who stand 6 feet or taller, and that "every team in the league has one or two players at 6-2 or so. I just try to box out my own player."

Some opponents have played a box-and-one against Eyerman in recent games.

"Defenses are paying more attention to me and I've had to work harder for open shots," she said. "That's OK. I'm picking up screens better and it's making me a better player."

Another area Eyerman leads the team in is minutes played. She averages 32.4 minutes per game. Point guard Rachel Dillon is second on the squad at 23.9.

"We do a lot of running up and down the court," she said. "But we have a lot of guards who can play, so I'm not afraid to go to the bench if I'm winded."

Acker has a system in which a player can re-enter the game when she wants if she takes herself out. If he has to pull an obviously fatigued player, she returns when he says so.

"Candice is as competitive as anybody else," the coach said. "She'll push herself out there, but she's smart about it."

Another Seneca Valley graduate, Courtney DeFalco, is a freshman on the Waynesburg basketball team and will likely start in center field this spring for the softball team.

"She's a two-sport athlete who is primarily here for softball," Acker said. "But Courtney has a good shot and she'll be another 3-point shooter for us down the road."