Fussell stays sharp from field
Dec. 21, 2011
Dalton Pool, Texas Media Relations AUSTIN, Texas -- Chassidy Fussell was putting on her best Rip Hamilton impression in No. 22 Texas’ lopsided win over Grambling State at the Frank Erwin Center on Tuesday. Fussell scored 19 points, including 13 of UT’s first 21, six assists and three rebounds, all while wearing a custom-fitted plastic protective mask. “I was worried people were going to laugh,” Fussell shared. “My teammates were making fun of me. Coach (Ron) Hughey said that I wouldn’t be able to shoot with it, but I felt that a shooter can shoot with anything, and I just came out with it and everything seemed to work fine.” Fussell, a 5-10 sophomore guard from Troy, Tennessee, suffered an elbow to the nose in Saturday’s victory against North Texas, and she decided to wear a plastic mask to protect the nose in the Longhorns’ Tuesday night game. Fussell was fitted for the mask earlier in the day, and her first time wearing it was during warm up. However, that did not slow her down. Fussell came out and hit her first three 3-point shots, and scored 11 points before Grambling State scored even one. “We talked about it before the game and wondered if it was going to affect her game at all,” head coach Gail Goestenkors said. “I actually called the first play of the game to go to Chassidy for a shot because I wanted to see what it was going to look like.” Fussell’s first two 3-pointers came from near identical spots on the perimeter, and she maintained her hot rhythm of late. She is averaging 20.3 points over the past three games for Texas.
For the season Fussell is averaging 17.1 points per game and is the Longhorns’ leading scorer. |
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