Roach is working miracle at Lourdes

When Arlena Roach enrolled at Lourdes in September, 1984, theSouthwest Side school hadn't had a basketball winner in four years.But things have changed. The Lions (10-0) are ranked No. 3 afterupsetting defending Class AA champion Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Roach, the Chicago Sun-Times' Player of the Week, engineered thevictory with 22 points, including eight of her team's last 10. The5-6 Illinois recruit also grabbed 14 rebounds.

"When I came to an open house at Lourdes, their team lookedweak," said Roach, a senior. "The girls I watched couldn't shoot theball. I figured if I came, I could make an impact."

"I had no idea who Arlena was when she enrolled," Lourdes coachDon Haynes said. "The first time I saw her was at an open gym. Myeyes nearly popped out of my head.

"If there's a better guard in Illinois, I haven't seen her.It's a thrill to have a player like Arlena. She subjugates her gameto the team. She demands a lot of them, and they demand a lot ofher."

There was no girls' team at St. James junior high, so Roachplayed point guard for the boys' team. Her teammates included TerryMister (St. Joseph) and Kevin Raws and Julius Burrell (HalesFranciscan).

"The biggest influence on me has been Coach Haynes," Roach said."He has done much more than be a teacher. He has given all of uscharacter.

"We treated IHM like it was just another game. All of us feltwe could beat them. In that game, I was proud of the fact we held(IHM's) Kris Maskala to 10 points. That was the key to the game.It was a giant step for us. Now we have to keep it going."

Among them are January games with GCAC South rivals Maria andMother McAuley, two teams Lourdes never has beaten.

"Arlena Roach is the best penetrator in the state," said IHMcoach Dave Power, whose three-year winning streak against GCAC foeswas snapped by Lourdes. "We knew ahead of time exactly what she wasgoing to do. We just couldn't stop her. She gets such good positionon the offensive boards, she rebounds with the best of the6-footers."

"We were extremely happy to sign her," Illinois coach LauraGolden said. "Arlena has the potential to be one of the best pointguards in the Big Ten. She has outstanding leadership skills andquickness. And nobody will question her jumping ability. What Ilike is she fires up her teammates and can raise the level ofintensity."

"I felt comfortable at Illinois," Roach said. "I got along withthe girls on the team real well - just like I do at Lourdes."