Emily Anderson, a member of the Point Park University basketball team, first heard about Point Parkfrom a high school friend and current teammate, Marissa Reinhard.

Anderson, a freshman intelligence and national security major, played basketball at Plum High School.

“I started as a freshman. I lettered all four years. I averaged about 16 points a game, and I played point guard,” Anderson said.

“Point Park is close to home, and I didn’t want to go too far way from home. I had offers to other schools, but I wanted to go here and I wanted to play with Marissa. I e-mailed Sam, the coach, and Marissa was the first person I told after I signed,” Anderson said.

Sam Kosanovich, the head coach of the women’s basketball, is always on the lookout for new talent. With the help of Reinhard, he was able to recruitAnderson.

“Emily sent me an e-mail one day out of the blue,” Kosanovich said. “She was looking around for colleges. We actually put Marissa on the recruiting staff to recruit Emily. As we went through the recruiting process, Ed Meena and Molly McClelland, the other two coaches, actually took Marissa when we went to recruit Emily at Plum and watch her play.”

Anderson’s height is ideal for a point guard, according to Kosanovich.

“We are glad to have Emily. She is a talented 5-foot-9-inch point guard, that is a pretty tall player that handles the ball and brings the ball down to the floor. We’re happy to have her for this year and the remaining three years,” Kosanovich said.

“Emily is a fun person to be around. She is the practical joker. We joke with her a lot, and she accepts coaching in a positive manner. She knows she is early on in her career and wants to get better every day; she is what I refer to as a gym rat. It’s a good thing to be called a gym rat if you’re a basketball player; it means you’re always in the gym working to become better,” Kosanovich said.

The transition from high school basketball to college basketball can take some time to get used to.

“The game is a lot faster-it’s a step up. It’s a bigger challenge than high school basketball,” Anderson said.

“I’m glad I came to school here because it’s different, which I like. There are a lot of different kinds of people here too, and it’s a good learning experience. I’m glad I get to play with good people,” Anderson said.

“I have known Emily all my life,” Reinhard said. “We played on the Plum High School basketball team. She was a point guard, I was a forward, and we worked really well together.”