Carly Besser
Staff writer
Junior guard Tessa Elkins is a prominent part of the Racers lineup, starting in 25 of 30 games for the Racers in the 2010-11 season. She was also ranked fourth on the team for rebounds, averaging 3.9 per game.
Due to injury, Elkins was forced to sit out the middle part of the season, but was able to contribute when the team traveled to Carbondale, Ill. to play Southern Illinois University on Jan. 30. Elkins scored six points and added a steal in her post-injury debut.
“It feels really good to be back,” Elkins said. “I missed playing so much. It’s been a year since my knee surgery and my knees have felt so great. It feels good to be back on the court.”
Elkins said she plans on coming back to basketball with full force.
As an experienced player, Elkins has a long history with basketball, starting at an early age because of her older brother.
“He was three years older than me and I would go with him to the outdoor courts and play against all of his friends,” she said. “I’ve been playing against the boys ever since I could dribble.”
Elkins attributes her fiery personality on the court to her mother and past coaches.
“My mom always yelled at me to tell me what I should do,” she said. “And my high school coaches always screamed at me to get me focused too. I was expected to go hard all the time.”
Such an aggressive behavior on the court has made Elkins an offensively dominant player, but has also set her back with technical fouls in the past season.
“There was one time when I was trying to stick up for Mariah Robinson and it got me in trouble,” she said. “I know I need to work on being quiet more. I think I’ve grown up a lot this season so I’ve been working on my self-control.”
Elkins is majoring in business administration and plans to keep basketball close to her career with hopes of coaching and working with sports advertising.
“I love this sport,” she said. “I want to try and keep it with me in any way I can.”
As a student-athlete, Elkins said she is enjoying her experience at Murray State.
“I like how it’s such a small town and everyone gets to know you,” she said. “I’ve really loved being on the team and getting to know my teammates.”
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