A change in plans

It’s early in the season, but University of Toledo women’s basketball head coach Tricia Cullop is already making big changes to her squad.

Cullop decided after the Purdue game on Nov. 23 that she was going to move senior forward Inma Zanoguera to point guard, a position the team captain hasn’t had yet to play in her collegiate career.

Previous starting point guard, junior Brenae Harris, remains in the starting lineup and contributes over 30 minutes a game. But she has been battling a shin injury, which was one of the factors for the change.

“I said to the staff after that trip [to Purdue], that we need to get the ball in [Zanoguera’s] hands more anyway,” Cullop said. “This is a great way to do it and it’s been a natural transition.”

How well did the switch work? See the Rockets’ two victories in the FIU Thanksgiving Classic a couple weeks ago.

In Zanoguera’s first game at the new spot she went off for 24 points, which tied her career-high. She also piled up 10 assists and five rebounds with just one turnover in 38 minutes of play, leading her team to a 64-62 win over the University of Virginia.

Zanoguera topped it all off with the game-winning three pointer with just five seconds left. Not bad for someone playing a new position for the first time.

“She really pushes the tempo better than anyone else at the point guard position,” Cullop said. “We are getting easy transition baskets that we weren’t getting earlier on and it’s because she is in phenomenal shape.”

Zanoguera produced an identical 24-point performance, minus the game-winning trey, against Arizona in the championship game of the FIU Classic. It isn’t just her benefiting from the change — the team has shot over 43 percent in each of the two contests Zanoguera played point guard.

“I definitely have the ball in my hands more, but that means I need to get better at my ball skills,” Zanoguera said. “With me having the ball more often means me attracting more people, which means my teammates are more open. [That] is part of the reason why I’ve been able to get so many assists.”

All of Zanoguera’s numbers are benefiting from her new position on the court.

“I think it helps a little bit,” she said. “I hope it will continue, but I would hope that was the case no matter where I was playing.”

Zanoguera’s skill set plays a big part in why she is able to play the point guard position. The other component is her knowledge of the game.

“First off, she’s a leader, and the point guard position is a position for a leader,” said junior teammate and co-captain Ana Capotosto. “That naturally has helped our offense run better, especially when you have someone as vocal as her, and that is as experienced as her.

“It makes things flow better for everyone.”

Teammates, such as freshman Michaela Rasmussen, have been able to feed off of Zanoguera’s success. In the Virginia game, with more eyes on the new point guard, Rasmussen scored a career-high 19 points and added eight rebounds.

“She’s drawing some more attention,” Cullop said of Zanoguera. “There are times people are trying to trap her, hard hedge her, and I think we’ve worked through those and I think she is learning how to handle them.

“We are pleased with the way she has played.”

With two wins under her belt, Toledo’s new point guard is finding the change of position a natural fit.

“Nothing feels that different to me,” Zanoguera said. “I always try and help the team as much as I can wherever I am on the court, whether it’s the point, four or three position.

“I just do what I can to help the team.”