Terilyn Moe poses for a photo during women’s basketball media day on Monday, Nov. 10. The point guard came up just shy of a triple-double in the season opener, scoring 17 points with nine rebounds and eight assists.
Speak to Nevada point guard Terilyn Moe for a few minutes and some things will jump out. T-Moe, as she goes by, is shy and resists the limelight.
Ask her if she feels pressure to the Wolf Pack’s main offensive threat, Moe will say:
“I don’t really look for my shots — if it’s there, it’s there. If someone else is open, they’re open.”
Ask her what her personal goals are, she’ll reply:
“I don’t really have a personal goal. I just want to win a Mountain West championship.”
Moe is the quintessential point guard and an unselfish leader that has one thing on her mind: winning.
While shoot-first point guards are quickly taking over the game, in the pros and even recently at Nevada, Moe doesn’t fall into the trend.
Moe, who played point guard during high school, started at the wing during her first two seasons with the Wolf Pack while the departed Arielle Wideman held down the point. While playing out of position was an uphill climb, point guard comes naturally to Moe.
“She’s really unselfish and I think her team recognizes that,” said head coach Jane Albright. “They know she doesn’t care about her stats. She’s just trying to make a play and help us win games.”
The junior averaged 10.6 points and 2.7 assists a year ago — both marks ranked second best among the Wolf Pack — after a debilitating ACL injury derailed her freshman campaign.
A full offseason, one not consumed by rehabbing her knee, paid dividends for Moe, where she worked tirelessly on improving her jump shot.
“Last year, she was take it all-in or shoot a three, but this year she’s really developed a mid-range game,” Albright said. “I’ve seen more improvement in that area than anything else.”
During Nevada’s 74-51 exhibition win against Academy of Art on Nov. 7, Moe’s state line read 17 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two steals. While falling just shy of a triple double, each figure was a team-high.
A heavy burden will rest on Moe’s shoulders to score, especially after the Wolf Pack lost Danika Shark and Wideman — who combined for nearly 33 percent of the team’s offense in 2013-14.
Moe’s strong suit is heading to the charity stripe, which she reached 11 times against Academy of Art. Last season, she attempted a jaw-jarring 180 free throws — 63 more times than her next teammate. Moe’s 139 made free throws placed her seventh on Nevada’s single-season record book.
Despite standing at a pedestrian 5-foot-8, Moe has no fear of driving to the basket. While she’s the second-shortest girl on the roster, her toughness is second to none.
Take for instance on Monday, Nov. 10 when Moe was hampered by a swollen knee. Whereas most players would sit out practice due to the injury, according to Albright, Moe was unsurprisingly out in full force.
“She’s a blue collar and has a bit of a chip on her shoulder,” Albright said. “She’s not the one you have to kick in the rear end and say, ‘Come on, let’s go.’ She loves working hard.”
Eric Uribe can be reached at euribe@ sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @Uribe_Eric.
