USD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Herman catches on at the right time

Raw, athletic junior has emerged for USD women

By TOM SHANAHAN - For the North County Times | Friday, March 21, 2008 4:34 PM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- The starting lineup for the University of San Diego women's basketball team features a pair of two-time All-West Coast Conference picks, one of the conference's top sophomores and a member of its all-freshman team.

That's the kind of talent that allowed USD to upset Gonzaga in the conference tournament final, earning a date against California in the NCAA tournament Saturday.

But when it was crunch time in the WCC final, guess who USD coach Cindy Fisher wanted to get the ball to down low? Kiva Herman, a girl who started her basketball career as a high school freshman in Vancouver, Wash., shooting a two-hand set shot.

Even as a USD freshman, recruited merely for her immense athleticism, Herman was so nervous that she had trouble catching the ball in practice.

"I would get so frustrated," Herman said. "The coaches worked with me on catching tennis balls."

But against Gonzaga, Herman, now a 6-foot junior, took an entry pass and answered a Gonzaga 3-pointer that trimmed the Toreros' lead to 60-59. She made a move and displayed classic jump-shot form to hit an 8-footer.

After Gonzaga scored again, Herman was fouled and hit both free throws for a 64-61 edge. Then came another pass to her down low, a move and another 8-foot jumper for a 66-61 lead.

By then, Gonzaga, which had trailed by as many as 15 points, was done answering USD baskets. The Bulldogs lost 70-66.

"I told her so many people played well in the game, but I was most proud of her," Fisher said. "When the game was on the line, she wanted the ball in her hands. Two years ago, she wouldn't have even wanted to be on the court. She has come so far in every aspect, and her confidence has skyrocketed."

As for that two-hand set shot, what did Herman know about basketball as a high school freshman? It was her first exposure to the sport, having grown up in St. Lucia as a mere spectator of cricket and soccer on the Caribbean island that lacked organized sports for girls.

By her sophomore year, Herman's shot was left-hand dominant, even though she's right-handed. It wasn't until her junior year that she learned the proper way to shoot a basketball.

"But I would just do turnaround jumpers," Herman said. "I was a center. I never played guard until last year."

Herman was a 36-foot triple jumper as a high school freshman, the only year she competed in track and field. If she had improved to 40 feet by her senior year, a reasonable progression, she would have been one of the best in the nation.

Her brother, Magaiva, was Washington's 3A Division state champion in the triple jump and long jump in 2007.

"She's come so far from when she first got here and we started working with her in individual workouts," Fisher said. "She was very, very raw, but she is an unbelievable athlete."

Her athleticism will be important when the Toreros (19-12) match up against Pac-10 regular-season and tournament runner-up Cal (26-6). But now Herman says she's more nervous for an interview than a game.

"(Against Gonzaga) I thought this was a time to forget about my fears," Herman said. "This was a championship game to get us to the NCAA tournament."

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