Fire and Ice: Freeze heating it up on the court
The reigning Utah Gatorade Player of the Year sat on the bench, and for a while, seemed to be stuck watching the Utah State women’s basketball team play the majority of games without her.
Little by little, when playing time became available due to a bloody nose or necessity, Lindsey Freeze started to come off the bench and contribute primarily on the offensive end.
“Right now I’m more of a shooter and a scorer,” Freeze said.
She has scored 15 points twice this season and averages six points a game. Since Freeze doesn’t start, she doesn’t have as much playing time as some of the other offensive threats on the team, yet she is second in points per 40 minutes.
Freeze scores 20 points per 40 minutes of playing time. Only Ali Marchant, at 21 points, scores more per 40 minutes of play.
A freshman who played at Timpview High School in Provo, Freeze was named Utah player of the year and was also selected first team all-state her junior year in high school.
Freeze played for Utah State Head Coach Raegan Pebley’s father at Timpview.
While there, Freeze also played with current Aggie guard Ana Pares.
She was the team leader in scoring her senior year in high school, but things are a little different this year.
Playing Division-I basketball is a higher level, but it isn’t that new for Freeze.
“It’s a different level, but I’ve always played with college girls in the summer time,” Freeze said. “I’m used to the level of play – it’s just a matter of getting the opportunity.”
She said she played pick-up ball with college players in the summer and her older sisters played college ball, so the skill set isn’t new to her.
Breaking into the lineup was a little more difficult than getting into those pickup games. But once a little time on the court was given to her, Freeze was able to capitalize on her first opportunities.
Against Air Force, she scored four points in three minutes of playing time when Brittany Tressler was hit in the nose and had to leave the game.
Freeze hit one of Tressler’s free throws and then made a 3-pointer shortly thereafter.
Freeze didn’t play in the games against Montana and Idaho State and she didn’t start seeing significant playing time until the Weber State game.
It wasn’t surprising that she scored 15 points in 16 minutes, which, until that game, was three times her usual playing time.
After the Weber State game Dec. 17, Freeze has scored at least five points and played at least 15 minutes coming off the bench in every game except against Wyoming, when she played just six minutes but still scored five points.
Against Texas A&M, she scored 15 points again, but this time in 18 minutes. She also grabbed seven rebounds – her season high.
In the first conference game against San Jose State, Freeze came off the bench and totaled 26 minutes, which was tied for third-most minutes played for that game.
She played 20 minutes against Fresno State and scored nine points, which was third highest for the game.
“Getting more opportunities is going to make me more comfortable playing my game,” Freeze said. “I will also be able to adapt the way I play into our system.”
With all the scoring Freeze is capable of, she isn’t a one-trick pony. Since her defensive stats aren’t there as of yet, she recognizes there is work that needs to be done to become a complete player.
“I’m working to develop my defensive end,” Freeze said. “Coach Pebley puts me in because I’m solid on the defensive end and I can maybe give us a punch on the offensive end when we need it. I come in trying to make a difference on both ends.”
Being a freshman this year is a little different in a lot of ways, especially since Utah State has seniors to help bring the younger players along.
For the first time since the program started up in 2003, expected leadership exists from the player’s years of experience.
“Jessica [Freeman], Ali [Marchant] and Ash[ley Rutledge] have all been really good at that,” Freeze said. “Aside from being great basketball players, they’re great girls and they know how to lead on both sides of it.”
WIth the leadership and playing time coming down the pipe, Freeze will have time to continue to adapt to the team, the system and to Division-I basketball.
-krn@cc.usu.edu
USU’s Lindsey Freeze shoots a free throw earlier this season.