Alaska Sports Hall of Fame

With her team muddled in a three-game losing skid, Debbiey Simmers of Anchorage wanted things to change.

So she took over the game.

The Malone University senior guard poured in a season-high 29 points in an 89-77 win over Northwood. It was her highest point total at Malone in 34 games.

“We were moving the ball well as a team, which helped me to get open looks at the hoop,” she told me. “If I was open I shot the ball. I did not realize that I was in for a good night. I knew that we had to win that game because we had just lost three in a row.”

Simmers, of Anchorage Christian School fame, made 10-of-15 field goals and all six free throws. In fact, the 5-foot-9 guard hasn’t missed a foul shot this month [12 for 12].

Her scoring spree was a welcomed sight. She had averaged just 9 points over her previous four games.

“We all brought a different mindset to the game,” Simmers said. “The three games we had just lost were due to bad defense, so we discussed as a team that we needed to approach the game with a prerogative of getting stops on the defensive end.

“We came out fired up because we had a disappointing loss two nights before. So I would say I approached the game with more focus on being a good defender. The focus split over to the offense as well. Once I started hitting some shots I definitely gained confidence and momentum on the offensive end.”

Simmers is averaging 13 points and 3.8 rebounds in eight games. She leads the team in free-throw shooting [88 percent].