This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

Three is Materin’s Magic Number

With the calendar turning to February, the NBA All-Star Game is right around the corner and with that comes the highly anticipated three-point shooting contest. If Hand’s Paula Materin were to enter the competition, she just might give the pros a run for their money.

Paula, a senior captain guard, started with basketball at age 4 and never looked back. Following a junior year in which she knocked down 43 from long range for a 21-win, SCC finalist Tigers’ squad, Paula is well on her way to topping that feat this season. So far, she’s already hit 37 from downtown, while averaging 15.1 points a night for Hand, which sports a record of 10-4.

“It’s just been a lot of practice with my shot, especially in the offseason with AAU and, of course, Coach [Tim] Tredwell has helped, too. It’s all helped me develop my shot,” says Paula, who will be playing at Babson College next year. “I always have to remind myself about length of shot because, when I miss, it’s usually because the shot is too short. I also concern myself with follow-through. Those are the two most important things for me, after getting into my shooting position.”

Coach Tredwell notes that Paula exhibits a certain toughness when driving through the lane. He adds that she’s developed a defensive side of her game that sets the right template for Hand’s future stars.

“Paula has worked extremely hard in the offseason to hone her craft. While she is obviously one of the top shooters in the area, she is also a crafty scorer who is capable of getting to the rim and finishing through contact when teams try and take away her shot,” says Tredwell. “She is a smart rebounder who has improved tremendously on the defensive side of the floor. She has also developed into a strong leader for a young team that needed someone to follow. When talking to younger players, I’ll be pointing to Paula’s work ethic and dedication to the sport as an excellent example of how to become a successful player at the high school level and beyond.”

In a game based on averages, Paula realizes she won’t be in the zone from three-land every night and so she knows how important it is to attack in the paint and crash the boards.

“I always have to think to the next shot because not every shot is going to go in. Scoring is also a team thing in how the ball gets to the basket. Without a good team, you can’t score,” says Paula, who’s also shooting 79 percent from the free throw line and averaging 3.3 rebounds a contest. “With so much practice, I want to be a threat in all aspects of the game. I always box out on rebounding and it’s important to find a body. I feel I’ve done a better job this year in putting effort towards that. Timing is big, too. I always find a body right after the shot goes up.”

As one of Hand’s captains, Paula feels grateful that she gets to compete alongside the best collection of teammates any athlete could ask for. That cohesiveness has helped propel the Tigers to another stellar start in a season they hope will end with an even deeper postseason push than last year.

“Being captain means the world to me because this is a great group of girls. I’m lucky to be with this team and school. We graduated some players from last year, but the pool of talent here is impeccable. The coaches have also helped with team chemistry,” says Paula, who thanks her family, her Hand coaches and teammates, along with her AAU coach Russ Hill. “We just have to keep doing what we are doing, honestly. We have to take it one possession as a time and, if we play to what we are fully capable of, then we can beat anyone on any given night.”