When the pressure is on, junior guard Keiva Council to steps up to keep the ‘Pack in the game.
Players deal with a lot of pressure on the court, including pressure from fans, coaches, teammates and the opposing team. While this makes the game more difficult for some, it fuels Council’s desire to win. “I live for it, all the pressure,” Council said.
Council attended high school at Alief Hastings in Houston, Texas. In a second-round game during her sophomore year, she sank five 3-point shots to start the game against rival Clear Brook High School.
Council had never heard of Loyola until she received a call from women’s basketball head coach Kellie Kennedy, who asked Council to try out for the team. Council said that once she tried out for the team, she knew she wanted to attend Loyola.
In Council’s freshman year with the Wolfpack, the team went on to win Conference and Conference Tournament. The team finished with a 23-7 season. “We were young,” Council said, “but we beat a lot of teams.”
Council scored a total of 375 points during her sophomore year. The team was second in Conference behind Xavier, but lost to LSU-Shreveport in the first playoff game.
This season, Council pushed the Wolfpack into the finals when she scored two free throws against Lee University with four seconds left in overtime. In an earlier game against Dillard, Council scored a record 43 points. She was named to the All-Academic and SSAC All-Conference Teams. “One thing I can say about the team this season is that we were a unit and we never gave up,” Council said.
Council finished her third year at Loyola with a 20-12 season.
Council said she tries to leave her “heart on the floor” when she plays. She explained that she plays with a lot of emotion. “I’m really competitive and I hate to lose,” Council said.
Kennedy described Council as a perfectionist. Good or bad, Council hates making mistakes. “If it’s not perfect, she doesn’t like it,” Kennedy said.
Council is a team player. She tries to motivate teammates to make sure they play with confidence on the court. She also tries to work with players that seem nervous. Council encourages shooters to “just shoot it,” while feeding post players the ball as much as possible. When asked about the recent season, Kennedy said, “Keiva was our leader.”
Before some games, Council needs quiet to get in the zone. For others, she lets the music get her prepared. She relies on either the music that blasts in the gym before a game or music from a warm-up CD. Council’s CD includes artists like Dorrough, Lil Wayne, Ke$ha, Trey Songz, Magnolia Shorty and Willow Smith.
In Council’s opinion, basketball is 60 percent mental. “It’s all in your head,” Council said. “If things don’t go your way, you need to know how to deal with it.”
Life after college holds a number of opportunities for Council. According to Kennedy, Council has a shot at a successful basketball career overseas. With a major in sociology and criminal justice, Council has many options to explore. Until then, the Wolfpack has one more season with its lead scorer.
Scott O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
