The UCSD women’s basketball team is off to a 6-5 start this season, and the Tritons have enjoyed guard Ali Ginn’s stellar play throughout the first 11 games. A young player on a team full of inexperience, sophomore Ginn has proven to be a strong and talented force on the court.
Ginn is among the team leaders for the Tritons in several statistical categories. She averages a team-best 13.1 points per game, and has been the leading scorer five of UCSD’s 11 games.
A sophomore from Carlsbad, Calif., Ginn plays an aggressive style of basketball, which is evident from her frequent visits to the free-throw line. She has attempted 44 shots from the charity stripe, converting an impressive 84.1 percent of them.
In addition to her great shooting ability, the 5′ 9″” guard looks to crash the boards, too – she has brought down 4.1 rebounds per game for the Tritons.
In the recent UC San Diego Doubletree Invitational played at the RIMAC Arena on Dec. 28 and Dec. 29, Ginn led her team to two victories and was named Tournament MVP. In the Tritons’ second game against Central Washington, Ginn took control of the game, scoring a season-high 27 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in a 67-61 overtime win.
“”Ali played really well in the tournament,”” UCSD head coach Judy Malone said of her starting guard. “”She can just about take over a game at any time.””
With two seniors and one junior on the women’s basketball team, Ginn feels no pressure to become a team leader and carry the Tritons.
“”I’m not really a captain-type person now,”” Ginn said. “”I just play hard all the time and try to lead by example.””
As a communications major, Ginn says of her time off the court, “”I’m just going trying to get through my communications classes.””
After graduating in a little more than two years from now, she hopes to find a career working in the secret service.
The Tritons currently have a three-game losing streak, but UCSD still has a long season ahead. Although Ginn leads the team in several categories, the team is well-balanced and looking to its cohesiveness to get the Tritons back on track this season.
Ginn is aggressive and has a strong one-on-one game. Her talent especially helps the Tritons down the stretch in close games, just as she did in UCSD’s game against Central Washington. The sophomore’s responsibilities may change as she gains experience, but this current team just looks for her strong play on the court.
