Gay sparks Lady Pirates to hot start

The ECU women's basketball team is off to one of the best starts in program history, opening their season with a 7-1 record.

One big reason for their strong start has been the play of forward Kim Gay.

Gay, a 6-foot-2 junior from Eastman, Ga., is currently leading the team in rebounding with an average of 6.8 boards a game and is also contributing 9.5 points a contest.

Gay has seen her role on the team rapidly increase since appearing in all 30 games as a freshman.

Last season, she led the team in rebounding with an average of 5.2 a game, and says that she hopes to do the same this season.

"I would love to be the leading rebounder again," Gay said. "That is my personal goal for the season."

While Gay is a highly skilled rebounder and a good scorer, women's basketball head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener says that her biggest contribution to the team may be her leadership.

"Kim's leadership has been huge for us, on and off the floor" Baldwin-Tener said. "She is the ultimate team player. She's more interested in the team getting a win than she is in getting her points, rebounds and awards; and she is willing to do the things that it takes in order for us to win."

Gay, who was voted team captain prior to the start of the season, is a dedicated, team-first player whose top priority is getting her team to the conference championship.

"We're all pretty excited about our start," said Gay, "but we are definitely not satisfied. A lot of teams are (in our position) right now. We are continuing to work hard."

One thing that immediately becomes apparent while talking with Gay is how driven she is to constantly get better and how hard she pushes herself to achieve at a high level. "I'm not satisfied at all," Gay said of her impressive performance in the first eight games. "I set my standards pretty high. I don't think I will ever be satisfied until we win conference."

Gay came into the Lady Pirates program as a highly touted prospect out of Dodge County High School that was named first-team All-State and Middle Georgia Player-of-the-Year as both a junior and a senior. She averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks per game her senior season.

Coach Baldwin-Tener is quick to point out that as good as Gay is on the court, she is an even better person off of the court.

"Kim is a great person," Baldwin-Tener said. "If my kids end up being like her, then I'll be in good shape."

Gay's stand-out play thus far this season was recognized when she was named MVP of the Lady Pirate Invitational, averaging 11 points and six rebounds during the tournament as ECU won in dominating fashion.

Typical of Gay, she was more focused on the team's achievements.

"I was happy to be honored, but I was happier about my team winning," Gay said.

This writer can be contacted at sports@theeastcarolinian.com.