Hale goes into ‘attack mode’ on her way to career-high 37 points

December 5, 2016

NeNe Hale basketball

NeNe Hale

The Central Methodist University women’s basketball team had already lost twice on the road and Nene Hale of Anchorage wanted things to change.

By taking matters into her own hands, the NAIA All-American guard scored a career-high 37 points to carry the 15th-ranked Eagles to an 89-66 victory over Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa.

“We’ve been having trouble playing away games but this game it seemed like everybody learned their roles, and we are playing as a team,” she told me.

The 5-foot-8 junior sank 12-of-20 shots, made four 3s and knocked down 9-of-10 free throws.

Hale, of Houston High fame, came into the night averaging 18.3 points per game.

“This game I was in attack mode and I just kept attacking their paint and getting sent to the free-throw line,” she said.

Central Methodist improved to 7-2 this season, 5-2 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

“We have not achieved anything,” Hale said. “There’s still a lot of work to be done.”