March 6, 2013
By Mike Esse, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Gizelle Studevent has become a reliable role player for Coquese Washington over the past four years. Studevent has never played consistent starters minutes nor has she been atop the scoring column in many games, but her impact in games has always came in a timely manner.
It might only be two to four points a night, but those two or four points always come at the right time for the Penn State Lady Lions. The senior guard's pure stroke has been another weapon off the bench for Washington on the floor.
"She doesn't shoot a lot of shots for us, but there's been a number of nights this year where she has come off the bench in limited minutes and knocked down a big shot that has given us momentum at the end of the half or in a crucial part of the game," said Washington.
Studevent never really expected big things on the court for herself, personally. It has always been about bigger things on and off the court, which makes her role on the court seem even more fitting.
She didn't know much about Penn State prior to committing to play basketball for Washington and the Lady Lions. After her official visit it, she knew everything she needed to know about Happy Valley.
"I didn't know anything about (Penn State)," said Studevent. "Then I came to visit and I fell in love with the place. I knew what a Big Ten university was and I knew it was going to take a lot of work to build the team and we would have to work hard to become the team we are now."
Once Studevent bought into the plan of her future head coach, it was a no brainer to attend Penn State.
"I believed in Coquese and I adore Coquese and respect her," she said. "Just being with her is incredible and I'm very, very fortunate."
Being put into the class that featured Alex Bentley, Nikki Greene, Marisa Wolfe and Mia Nickson, the San Diego area native accepted her role in her class, as well as with the team.
By being able to do that, quickly and with no remorse, it was another solid piece of the rebuilding process for Washington.
Now, four years later, Lady Lion fans and Big Ten opponents are seeing why this senior class fits so well together. It is being shown not only by the starters, but also with the limited time Studevent has on the floor.
Washington summed up the asset that Studevent has matured into on the floor simply; huge.
"It's huge," said Washington. "One of the things that has been good about Gizelle is that she understands her role and relishes her role. She knows that some nights she is going to play more than others and she just focuses on giving her best effort when she's out there, for however long she is out there."
This season, she averages two points and plays just over nine minutes per game. That average of two points per game has become a consistent and needed number for Penn State.
Against Minnesota it was a timely four points. One game later, four points again when her team was struggling to get baskets against Ohio State. Consistent and effective.
Off the floor, it's the same story. Studevent has had her fair share of trials and tribulations. She has taken these trials and tribulations and turned them into positives.
Studevent started the Penn State Athletes Take Action program, which goes to local elementary and middle schools and talks about bullying, something that she had battled with earlier in her life.
Just like on the court, Studevent has accepted and relished her role off the court while being a student-athlete at Penn State. Once again, it comes straight from her belief in her coach.
"Coquese is really big on getting involved with the community and is involved with the community herself," said Studevent. "In seeing that and the lessons she has taught us, it's more than about you playing basketball here, you have to reach out and make a difference.
"I had my story and wanted to make a difference, but having somebody to look up to and somebody you want to be like is pretty much all the motivation you need."
Studevent's involvement and tie to the effects of bullying and the promotion of anti-bullying hasn't gone unnoticed. It is something she and those around her have become proud of.
As her career winds down at Penn State, she has the timely buckets, the two-time Big Ten All Academic honors and two Big Ten regular season titles to look back on.
On Senior Day, all of this came full circle for Studevent as it was the first time for her mother and other members of her family to see her play in person at Penn State. A reward for the hard worker on and off the court.
"It was incredible," said Studevent. "We don't come from a lot and I never thought I would be at a place like this."
With two Big Ten regular season titles in the books, no matter what happens in the upcoming postseason tournaments, Studevent has been able to piece all of her experiences at Penn State together into a lasting memory.
"This team worked really hard and I love the girls on the team," said Studevent. "I love the girls on the team, we are all really close and when I look back 10 years from now I will say `wow I was a part of a championship team and we all worked hard to get there.'
"Once I graduate and look back on that, that's going to be awesome for me."
--NITTANY LIONS--