Home >  Sports >  High School Sports >  Athlete of The Week

Thursday, January 18, 2001

-- By Mike White and Paul Zeise, Post-Gazette Sports Writers

Loui Hall and Marissa Gudac

SCHOOL: Albert Gallatin.

WHO ARE THEY? Stars of the Albert Gallatin girls' basketball team and one of the most potent one-two punches in the WPIAL.

THE PAST WEEK: Gudac had 20 points and Hall 14 in a 62-47 loss to Brownsville Monday. In a 73-67 overtime victory against Connellsville a week ago, Hall had 30 points and Gudac 25.

DYNAMIC DUO: Gudac and Hall are both among the WPIAL's top 25 scorers. No other WPIAL team can boast of such a scoring combination. Hall, a 5-foot-11 sophomore guard-forward, is fifth with a 22.2 average. Gudac, a 5-8 junior guard, is 21st with an 18.9 average. They have provided two-thirds of Albert Gallatin's scoring. The Colonials average 62.3 points.

"They just complement each other so well," said Albert Gallatin Coach Ann Capozzi. "Marissa is more of an outside shooter. Loui plays some outside, but she also is very strong underneath. It's very tough to contain both."

Gudac and Hall have helped Albert Gallatin to an 11-3 overall record and a 6-0 mark in WPIAL Class AAAA Section 2.

HOT SHOTS: Hall and Gudac are good shooters. Hall is shooting 53.7 percent from the field, including 39 percent (17 of 44) from 3-point range. Gudac is only shooting 37 percent from the field, but she has made 52 percent (42-81) from 3-point range. Hall also is averaging 9.2 rebounds.

"The rest of the team understands Loui and Marissa do the bulk of the scoring for us," Capozzi said. "But those two also know that if it weren't for the other girls getting rebounds and assists, they wouldn't be scoring so well."

WHAT'S IN A NAME? Hall's real first name is Ellen, but has always been known as Loui. Her sister, Shauntai, was a former Albert Gallatin star who went on to play at Penn State.

Capozzi feels Hall and Gudac are potential Division I college prospects.

-- By Mike White

SCHOOL: Central Catholic

WHO IS HE? A 5-foot-11 senior guard for the Vikings boys' basketball team.

THIS SEASON: Fisher is averaging 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals per game and has led the Vikings, who are the No. 1 ranked team in Class AAAA, to a 13-2 record.

LAST WEEK: Fisher scored 28 points and grabbed seven rebounds, to lead the Vikings to a 73-54 Section 4 win against Woodland Hills.

CAREER: A two-year starter, and three-year letterman, Fisher averaged 13.5 points, four rebounds and 2.6 assists last season.

EXCEPTIONAL ATHLETE: Despite being only 5-11, Fisher is one of the team's best rebounders because he has great jumping ability and exceptional quickness.

"At least once every game, he gets a tip-in off a missed free throw," said Central Coach Chuck Crummie. "Not too many guards can make that claim."

COMPLETE PLAYER: Over the past two seasons, Fisher has changed the way he approaches basketball, and it has been for the better. Crummie said he's developed into a more complete player on offense.

"I think the thing I've learned is that by sacrificing some shots and touches and getting everyone else involved it makes me a better player and us a better team," said Fisher. "So I have concentrated on trying to get more assists and setting up my teammates and I've found that my points still come anyway."

GETTING DEFENSIVE: Crummie said Fisher's ability to play defense has not always been matched by effort, but that he's becoming more consistent.. Fisher said it is part of the maturing process.

"I want to be known as a great defensive player," said Fisher. "So I've worked really hard at it. I feel like I can set the tone on defense for our whole team when I am at my best. If you play great defense, even if your offense is off, you can still have a great game by putting pressure on the other team. I can still take it to another notch, though."

FUTURE PLANS: Fisher has accepted a scholarship to play basketball at St. Vincent College in Latrobe. He wants to major in business or finance.

"It is a perfect fit for him," said Crummie, "both athletically and academically. He understands the importance of academics and has used his basketball skills to help him get a first-class education. Plus, he will get to play a lot at a very good level of basketball. It is a win-win for him."

Added Fisher, "I came to Central to get a better education, and that's why I chose St. Vincent. Basketball can only take me so far. I have a chance to get a degree from one of the best schools around -- that in itself means a lot."

-- By Paul Zeise