Chasity Melvin of North Carolina State and Mfon Udoka of DePaul are two of the best post players in women’s college basketball, as well as two of the most unusually named.
Each can score, defend, and rebound down in the body-banging lane.
But each of them also possesses additional skills not usually associated with players in the paint.
And those skills helped their teams remain unbeaten Saturday and reach the title game Sunday in the Moran Tournament at Alumni Hall.
As N.C. State (5-0) cruised 83-53 over Yale (2-2) in the first round Saturday, the 6-foot-3-inch Melvin hit 7 of 10 shots, scored 14 points and had six rebounds in 25 minutes of play.
She also left the block, moved out to the high post and did her impersonation of Magic Johnson, seeing the whole court and dishing off 10 assists.
Udoka, a 6-footer and like Melvin a senior, played 38 minutes as DePaul (2-0) edged Kansas State (2-1) 75-68. She hit 9 of 14 shots, scored 23 points and pulled down 14 rebounds.
And a couple of times she drifted out to 18-foot range and knocked down set shots. One of them put DePaul ahead for good, 60-59 with 3:14 to play.
“When I go out to the top of the key I can see the whole court,” Melvin said. “I see the players cut and screen and get open. If they get open I get them the ball, and they know I’ll get them the ball if they’re open.”
Udoka would not consider popping an 18-footer in her early years as a Blue Demon. And she realized the air ball she shot Saturday from the three-point stripe was beyond her range.
“But I’ve practiced the shot from about 15 to 18 feet,” Udoka said. “I know if I’m to play professionally, I’ll have to have that shot too. If they don’t guard me, I’ll take it.”
K-State coach Deb Patterson said Udoka “hurt us early with her putbacks. Then she was effective from high post. She hit that big shot from there. You need a go-to player, and she was that.”
Anne McDonald with 17 points and Fuchsia Forrester with 15 backed up Udoka for DePaul.
Brit Jacobsen had 22 and Angie Finkes had 18 for the Wolfpack.
