'When she's on, she's on'

LAND O'LAKES -- Roshaunda Washington isn't the type to say too much.

Or say anything at all, really.

Save for those closest to her, Washington keeps her thoughts and feelings to herself. She likes to keep quiet.

"I don't know why," she said. "I do talk to certain people, my family and friends, but that's it."

But then, her game does her talking for her.

Washington is the county's newest standout on the parquet floor.

Her prolific scoring gift, together with senior point guard Rachel Rogala and post player Alison Foster, has led resurgent Land O'Lakes to the second-best record in the county, 14-3, good enough for second-place in the Sunshine Athletic Conference and Class 4A, District 8 behind Ridgewood.

First-year Gators coach Greg Robinson saw her playing in the team's summer league, before former coach Jerry Stacy stepped down.

So Robinson didn't know he would soon be coaching the phenom he was watching.

"You could just see she had some natural ability," Robinson said. "She looks for the basket and she likes to shoot."

Washington is a sophomore transfer from Fort Myers who moved to the area with her mother.

Already Washington is third in the county in scoring with 15.1 points per game. But before the winter break, her scoring average was right at the top.

Her season high is 26 points and she scored 18 in Tuesday's win over Wesley Chapel.

Washington started as a freshman last season on Fort Myers' Class 5A, District 13 championship team.

The competition Fort Myers faced in that part of the state was a bit stronger, Washington said (Fort Myers lost 34-28 to Port St. Lucie in the playoff opener) but she was a different player there as well.

She was far more tentative with the ball in her hands, a freshman uncomfortable taking the shots an upperclassman would.

Not at all like her middle school days, which is the last time she racked up statistics like the ones she's putting up nightly in Pasco County.

"When I was in the ninth grade, I didn't shoot a lot," she said. "I was like a little scared freshman, so I didn't shoot the ball like I did in the seventh and eighth grades.

"But now I have no problem shooting."

That's for sure, Robinson said.

Washington leads the team in scoring, but her shooting percentage is hovering around 35 percent.

"She makes a lot of shots," the coach said, "but she puts up a lot."

Robinson said that Washington's all-around game has quickly improved. Washington was foul-prone.

The same quickness that allows her to score also had her chasing after steals and loose balls.

"I need to stay out of foul trouble," she said.

Now she's learning to do just that, as well as see the floor better.

She also talks more on the court -- well, for her, anyway.

"I would say she's improved with her fundamentals," Robinson said. "There was a lot of stuff she didn't have, like dribbling with her left hand, that she's better at now. She's come a long way. She was so quiet and everything at first, but now she's come on, she's a good team player.

"Now, she'll look for things she wasn't looking for before. She's an excellent shooter and good at making the basket, but now she's looking downcourt. Her points have dropped off a bit, but her assists are up. She's learning from Rachel (Rogala)."

Washington isn't afraid to launch it from 3-point range, but she is especially adept scoring within 10 feet of the basket, whether it's hitting the jumper or slashing to the basket to hit a layup.

She may not hit everything, but it helps that she's fast enough to grab the rebound off her own miss for a putback.

"It's her quickness," Robinson said. "She follows her own shot through.

"A lot of times, she'll shoot it from way out here and get her own rebound and put it back in. She's so quick.

"When she's on, she's on."

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