Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Miss Basketball
Hard-working Scaife bucks convention
From her first game as a freshman four years ago, 5-8 guard Tyler Scaife made an impact for the Little Rock Hall Lady Warriors. Scaife led Hall to the postseason for the past four years. As a senior, Scaife and the Lady Warriors went unbeaten in the 7A/6A-Central en route to the program’s first state championship in 16 years.
Bold decisions seem to be the norm for Tyler Scaife and it’s difficult to dispute the results.
Scaife chose to attend Little Rock Hall, which had a floundering program, after two successful two years of playing basketball for Maumelle Middle School.
In the four years before Scaife’s arrival, the Lady Warriors had failed to win a league game, but once she stepped on campus, Hall began to contend for conference championships.
Scaife said she knew that playing for Hall would present a challenge, but it was one that she welcomed.
“It was something new and I like trying new stuff,” said Scaife, a 5-8 senior point guard who has been selected as the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Miss Basketball for 2013. “I like to do things that the normal person wouldn’t.”
Hall Coach Selita Farr said she knew Scaife would be a difference-maker within days of the team’s first few practices.
“She was doing things I’d never seen before,” Farr said. “She was working extra, putting everything she had into her game. … No one outworks Tyler. She’s the first at practice and the last to leave. She’ll stay as long as it takes. She’ll stay until she’s satisfied.”
In her four years at Hall, Scaife and the Lady Warriors rolled up a combined record of 87-27. Her senior season ended with a 30-2 record and the program’s first state championship in 16 years.
“This whole year was a blessing,” Scaife said. “It seemed that everything just fell into place, but we worked hard to win the championship. I’m still excited. I smile every day just thinking about it.”
Although it took all four years before Scaife helped Hall earn a state championship, she made an impact in her very first game. She scored 14 points — 12 in the first half— and grabbed seven rebounds in a 69-52 loss to Little Rock Christian.
“I remember I was anxious,” Scaife said. “It’s a whole different environment playing in high school (than middle school). The girls are faster, stronger. It was a big step up.”
Scaife said she knew she had to mature quickly if she wanted to be successful.
“I don’t take as many bad shots,” Scaife said. “My shot is a lot more consistent. I play a lot better defense. I’m more vocal on the court and I play with a lot more energy. And now I’m starting to understand that every possession really does count.”
Scaife’s decisiveness on the court has often meant disaster for opposing teams. Scaife is not only adept at finding the open teammate, she is also proficient at hitting the 12- to 15-foot jump shot when the defenders have cut off the passing lanes.
“I’ve never coached a more motivated player,” Farr said. “She’s going to find a way to beat you,”
When it came to making a decision for college, Scaife also made an unconventional choice by signing with Rutgers. But when considering that Rutgers Coach Vivian Stringer has won 900 games and that Scaife enjoys cooler weather, the choice to attend college in New Jersey does not seem so unusual.
“I love the way Coach Stringer coaches and I love the way she interacts with her players,” Scaife said. “I just feel like she’s going to mold me into the player I need to be if I want to continue to play basketball. … We’re going to be young next year, but I feel like we can eventually be really good and maybe we can win that first [national] championship for her. … That’s why I chose Rutgers. It’s something new. It’s something different. They haven’t won a championship and that’s a challenge. I love challenges.”