Tonia Gerty isn’t the type of player to spend time worrying about her opponents. She doesn’t bother thinking about how high the other team is ranked or how touted its best player is. In fact, she couldn’t care less.
“I’ve always believed in playing to your ability and focusing on your game and your strengths,” notes the mentally tough Gerty, whose outstanding play this season earned her the accolade of Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year in a vote by the league’s 11 coaches.
Guided by this persistent point guard who led the conference in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio, the Cougars are coming off a historic year, highlighted by the program’s first postseason victories, with a pair of wins in the Women’s Basketball Invitational over Morehead State University and Bradley University.
“She’s a true competitor and extremely self-motivated,” says women’s head coach Nancy Wilson. “Tonia has the athleticism and skills to back up her competitiveness, and she takes pride in being able to affect another team’s offense. She’s quick, low to the ground and has a lot of tenacity to play as hard as she does.”
Gerty’s motivation stems from her family and her humble beginnings, along with a strong spiritual foundation.
“I grew up not having a lot, but basketball’s always been my strength,” says the communication major. “I have to work hard at what I do and become successful to help my family.”
Gerty’s personal responsibility is something that always stands out to Wilson. “I’m really proud of her because I can see her growing by leaps and bounds every year, both on and off the court,” Wilson says. “She’s a leader, and there’s a lot about her I really admire.”
For Gerty, one of the most important lessons has been maintaining a strong court presence.
“I’ve learned over the years to be poised and relaxed,” she observes. “You have to perfect what you do best.”
Gerty is on track to graduate next May and hopes to extend her basketball career professionally before pursuing a career in coaching. But in the meantime, her focus is on helping the Cougars carry some of this year’s momentum into next season, despite losing several key teammates.
She plans to share her tough mindset with the incoming players.
“I never want anyone to beat me,” she says emphatically. “I have a job to do, and that’s to stop my opponent any way I can– without fouling, of course.”
