Tiffany Menhorn: Leads the Lady Bobcats by example Photo by Bryan PorterBy Dave Holt / Sports editor

Junior guard Tiffany Menhorn spent the final 2:37 of the UPG women’s basketball team’s first-round playoff loss on the bench. Not because she can’t play but because she fouled out. Menhorn, who said she loves basketball because of the competitiveness, must have been in agony having to watch the from bench.

Menhorn is the Lady Bobcats team leader. She is vocal on the floor and the team responds to her energy. But she isn’t a self-centered, shine-the-spotlight-only-on-me, player. According to her, the team is lead more by committee.

“If we have ideas, we bounce them off each other and someone will step up and act on them,” Menhorn says. “We compromise a lot too.”

But as the only returning starter from last year and on a team with no seniors she knew what her role would be.

“[Taking on the leadership role] is something I looked forward to and I knew what my role would be this year,” she says. “I tried to step up as best I could and hopefully the team approves.

Assistant coach Kevin Conlon said that he, along with head coach Carol Gelet and assistant coach Andy Geter spoke with her after last season and told Menhorn what they expected from her.

“We talked to her last year about having to step up and she did that,” Conlon says. “She organized a summer league in Pittsburgh for the team and organized [conditioning]. Once we got into the preseason, she was always the first one to step up and do the drills, showing the other girls the right way to do them.”

Menhorn’s love for the game started in fourth grade.

“I fell in love with basketball right away. It’s the only sport I ever played. I didn’t want to play anything else.”

“I think what I love about it is that it is the only sport were it’s always competitive, offensively and defensively.”

A well-rounded player, she can guard, rebound and shoot from anywhere on the court. But Menhorn isn’t satisfied. She says she is constantly working to get better especially on her footwork and staying on her toes.

And when she steps on the court, she says there is only one thing she tries to do.

“I try to leave it all out there,” Menhorn says. “I think it’s what I do best. Just leave it all out there and play with passion.”

Menhorn’s competitiveness and her desire to get better benefits the Lady Bobcats’ future. The younger players can soak up the example she sets and try to play with the same amount of passion. And with a team that isn’t losing any players, the Lady Bobcats have a lot to prove next winter.

“Next year we have very high expectations,” Menhorn says. “We need to take steps forward and prove to people we’re a very competitive program.”

Conlon believes this team can win the conference tournament next season.

“It was a disappointing end to the season,” he says. “We had the talent to go further but it was a good learning experience. Next year we will be very experienced and we should be very hungry. There is no reason we shouldn’t win the conference next year.