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Injury-plagued junior gives it all she has

TALLAHASSEE -- Forty-five seconds into the third overtime against Wake Forest on Sunday, women's basketball assistant Theresa Gernatt asked Lauren Bradley when she felt she could return to the court.

"With 4:15 left," Bradley said after a quick glance at the clock.

"Yeah, but how much longer can you go?" Gernatt followed.

"Uh, 4:15, coach," she answered.

Bradley, the fourth-year junior center who has spent virtually her entire college career plagued by stress fractures in her lower legs, got in for only about the last 31/2 minutes. But in that time, she grabbed two offensive rebounds and made 1 of 2 free throws in the 62-60 victory. "It's just the kind of heart that she has," coach Sue Semrau said.

Bradley played a season-high 25 minutes and finished with six points, a season-high seven rebounds and two steals.

"I love my role," she said. "I just try to give a boost to the team when I get in there. This is my fourth year, so I have a lot of experience in the ACC. And I try to pass that on to the younger players. I just try to get some rebounds, take a charge if I can and do the little things that add up in a game."

The coaches expect nothing less from Bradley. What they do not know is how long they can ask her to go from one game to the next. (Bradley rides a stationary bike at courtside when not in the game to keep her legs warm.)

"If I could play her more, I would," Semrau said. "But what she gives us in the time that she can is absolutely critical to the success of this team."

Bradley parlays her passion, pride and power into averages of 4.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12 minutes. And although braces on her shins are as much a part of the uniform as her hightop sneakers, she is feeling healthier as the season progresses for FSU, which is in position for an NCAA Tournament bid entering Sunday's game at North Carolina State.

"I was telling coach Sue that it's kind of scary to think that I can be 100 percent pretty soon because I haven't been there since I've been in college," said Bradley, the Class 6A player of the year coming out of Lake Mary. "I'm really excited."

NICE DEBUT: Freshman third baseman Eddy Martinez-Esteve shares the team lead in batting average (.417, 5-for-12) after last weekend's season-opening series against VMI but might need to do more this weekend.

The Seminoles, who play at powerhouse Stanford Friday-Sunday, will be without rightfielder Blake Balkcom (.417, 5 RBIs). He strained a muscle in his right leg. (He had surgery on his right knee during the offseason.) PROMISING FUTURE: Men's basketball signee Von Wafer, a touted shooter from Heritage Christian Academy in Cleveland, Texas, provided a glimpse of what might be to come. His team played Florida High in Tallahassee on Saturday. He made 12 of 22 shots, 10-of-17 on 3-pointers, for 40 points in a 94-93 double-overtime victory.

STUDENTS AND ATHLETES: Senior offensive tackle Brett Williams (3.75 grade point average, sports management), junior defensive lineman Kevin Emanuel (3.30, sports management), junior linebacker Michael Boulware (3.19, education) and senior receiver Robert Morgan (3.00, sports management) were named to the ACC's all-academic football team.

-- Brian Landman covers Florida State athletics. He can be reached at (813) 226-3347 or by e-mail at landman@sptimes.com.

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