Denise Scott: Lincoln grad adjusts at CCRI By JOE LOMBARDI
THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: April 24, 2007)
She ended her girls basketball career at Lincoln High last year No. 1 on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,668 points.
But it was one day last fall when Lancers coach Dave Jenick realized that the impression Denise Scott left on his program went far beyond numbers -no matter how impressive.
"I had a girl come up to me in school - a freshman - saying that she wants to be the next Denise Scott," Jenick said. "It shows the impact she's made."
Although she just finished her freshman season at the Community College of Rhode Island, Scott is already a role model for current and future Lincoln players. And that legacy promises to grow.
After all, the 5-foot-5 guard from Yonkers was just named to the National Junior College Athletic Association All-America first team.
Scott finished the season as the Warwick-based school's leading scorer, averaging 14.6 points per game for the season as her game improved and her confidence continued to grow.
"I had to grow up first," she said. "Coming here was a big step from being at Lincoln. When you first come to college, you have the high school mentality. But I was able to turn it around. I didn't want the adjustment to come at the end of the season."
For Scott, it came in the middle - in the form of a 22-point, six-rebound, four-steal performance at Palm Beach Community College on Jan. 6.
"That's when I kind of realized I could play at this level," she said.
From that game on, she averaged 17.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 steals the rest of the way, including several prolific postseason performances.
They included a 36-point outing in a 94-67 win against rival Dean College in the Region XXI (New England) championship game on March 1, and a 30-point effort in a 68-65 win over Edison Community College in the first round of the national tournament in Phoenix on March 14.
"She exploded in the second half of the season," CCRI coach Marcus Reilly said. "It wasn't just basketball, it was everything else. At the end of our run in the postseason, she really transformed herself from being someone content to hide and be a No. 2 or 3 option to wanting the ball in her hands and demanding the ball.
"For a one-year span, it was a remarkable transformation."
Scott had 23 points, nine rebounds and three assists in the final game of the season, a 79-77 loss to North Central Missouri in the third round of nationals on March 16. The Knights went 1-2 at the national tournament to end the season 19-11.
"My game got a lot better because out here, we have skill workouts and we have to lift weights," Scott said. "I'm more focused than when I was in high school, and I'm in the gym more. I shoot around during my down time and I work on my free-throw shooting between classes."
The next challenge for Scott will be to land a spot at a Division I school after playing one more season at CCRI.
She drew recruiting interest in high school from several Division I programs, including Manhattan. In fact, Reilly became aware of Scott while he was the recruiting coordinator at Jacksonville State.
"I had her in my recruiting files, and when I came back to CCRI as head coach, Denise was still available and I knew of her well," Reilly said.
Though she is a prolific scorer, Scott's size probably will lead teams to recruit her as a point guard.
"I think her skill set right now best fits the 2-guard spot," Reilly said. "But she has been working hard to improve her handle. She definitely has the ability to play both positions."