The Peak

Spotlight : Gibbons discusses her formula for success

By Dave Roberts

Senior Point guard Lani Gibbons sat down with The Peak and discussed everything Clan women’s basketball, including her prediction on a hypothetical matchup with the men.

The Peak: Tell us about yourself.

Lani Gibbons: I’m in my 5th and last year of eligibility. I’m finishing off my degree in Kinesiology, and after I have that completed, I’m going to go do PDP and become an elementary school teacher!

P: Who has influenced your career the most in basketball?

G: I come from a basketball family. My mom played at UBC and my dad played, and both of my sisters played, my eldest at Utah. My dad coached me for my entire career until I came to SFU, so I would have to say he’s influenced me the most.

P: Was it tough making the transition from playing in Salmon Arm to playing at a major university?

G: No, I was really excited to come to SFU. I’m really lucky because Salmon Arm has a really great basketball tradition, and it is a very similar environment here at SFU. I grew up watching this team and the previous coach (Allison McNeill) is a close family friend. Coming into such a great environment made the transition easy.

P: What’s been the main reason for success during your time at SFU?

G: We’re so lucky here because of the big tradition. I’ve had great players to play with during my time here and I just think that there is such a dedication on all the teams that I have played on here. Everyone stays around here, like in the summer everyone is always in the gym and we’re always working on our game.

P: You have two CIS National Championships already under your belt. Would winning one in your senior year be the most special?

G: I think it would, but the first one was really special. It was a great new feeling. Every year has its own trials and tribulations to get to the championship, but that said, ending my career here at SFU with a championship would be amazing.

P: Would anything but a CIS National Championship be satisfying come March? G: I think we’re happy with our season, but where we are at with the talent on our team, I just don’t see a reason why we would lose. I just believe in our team so much that we will be able to achieve a championship if we want it enough.

P: What does your team need to focus on heading into the playoffs?

G: We are a really young team and one of our issues is the consistent focus that we need to have heading into each game. Sometimes we just show up for games and we aren’t mentally prepared. This can lead to us not putting together a consistent effort, which is essential for the playoffs. There are no second chances in the playoffs so we have to be sure that we will be able to go into every game well prepared and focused.

P: What do you credit towards for leading the nation in assists?

G: I learned through great coaching that seeing the floor and making the right passes is the best way to approach the game. But, I have always had great teammates who finish really well. Also, I have watched and played with many good players and their influence on me has definitely helped me.

P: Under coach Langford’s style of play, you have flourished into arguably the best point guard in the nation. What exactly about Langford’s style fits your game?

G: He gives our team a lot of freedom on offense, and I think that suits my game because I’m not a structured type of player. I like to play and react off what my team or the other team does. If I had come into a program where there were specific instructions for everything that I did, it would hinder my game. Coach Langford suits my open mind when it comes to the game.

P: Your only loss this season came against UBC. What went wrong?

G: We simply weren’t ready to play. We had beat them by 30 or 40 earlier in the season, and I don’t know if we were complacent because we beat them by so much, but we really didn’t prepare properly.

P: Finally, Clan men’s basketball versus Clan women’s basketball. Who wins?

G: That’s a tough one . . . but I can’t be down on my girls! I can never say we’re going to lose; it’s not my mentality. We would beat them for sure.

You can find more of Dave Roberts’ work at beyondrobson.com