By JOSEPH STASZEWSKI
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Elisabeth Gully and her game have undergone plenty of changes in the last eight months. Some jump right out. Others are more subtle, but no less important.
“I had like a wave come over me and I was like, ‘I need to get myself in better shape,’” the Mary Louis rising senior said.
Gully’s new form is the biggest and most noticeable difference if you saw the 5-foot-10 basketball forward play last season. The Rego Park native has lost 40 pounds since December. She resembles more of a small forward than the post-up five she has been throughout her career. Gully, who missed most of her sophomore season with an ankle injury, has spent time working out at the local World’s Gym when she doesn’t have practice with her Positive Direction travel team.
“She has really slimmed [down],” Positive Direction and Mary Louis teammate Reana Mohamed said. “She is quicker on her feet and she has been dribbling a lot, too, and getting to the basket from the foul line.”
Her physical transformation has carried over to her game. The spark came from within and was further fueled by a talk with Positive Direction and TMLA Assistant Coach JoAnn Arbitello, who told her if she put her mind to it she could earn a college scholarship this summer. Gully has spent time working on her individual skills in the spring with Positive Direction Coaches Chad Williams and Maurita Reid, who is currently playing for the Washington Mystics.
“I’m noticing now that girls are obviously bigger than me,” Gully said. “I need to work on something outside. I can’t always be the inside girl.”
The focus has been pulling her away from the basket more and improving her footwork, speed and shooting touch. She’s put all of that on display the last three days at the Blue Chip USA Invitational tournament at Penn State.
Gully is knocking down elbow jumpers, attacking the basket off the dribble and finishing athletic moves across the lane in the post. Prior to the tournament, she spent two days shooting around at Our Lady of Hope parish in Maspeth with Positive Direction teammate Kimberly Myers and her father Eddie Myers.
“She is a lot more confident with the basketball,” Arbitello said. “She is a lot more confident to ask for the basketball. Before she wouldn’t even have a hand up looking for the ball. Now it’s kind of like, ‘I’m ready. Give it to me.’”
Mohamed called Gully, who played for the NYC Heat last season, the missing piece to the travel team, which has traditionally been known for its sensational guard play. The hope is that she can have the same effect at Mary Louis next season. The Hilltoppers return a bevy of backcourt players, including Mohamed and Jasmine Nwajei and add talented freshman point guard Mei-Lyn Bautista.
Gully’s presence inside will be paramount. Last season she started by year’s end after providing invaluable rebounding, hustle and toughness inside.
“Liz Gully is going to help us at Mary Louis next year,” TMLA Coach Kevin White said. “She slimmed down a lot. She has a good basketball sense. Our guards should be pretty solid. We just need the bigs to do what they got to do.”
That’s exactly what Gully has done this summer. She had gotten herself in tremendous shape, expanded her skills and has taken on the mindset of embracing a leadership role. The hope is that a college scholarship will also follow.
“It’s my senior year,” Gully said. “I’m ready.”
