GREENVILLE – The girl whose prep career was established by scoring in transition had a tough one this past year as East Carolina freshman Katie Paschal not only had to learn how to adjust to college basketball, but to college life as well.
During her storied high school career Paschal led Williamston High School (which has since merged with Jamesville to become Riverside) to three straight conference titles and was named the WDN player of the year for three straight seasons. During her senior year, Paschal posted 33.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.6 steals and 5 assists a game to lead the Tigers to a 29-1 record and a trip to the NCHSAA 1-A state championship.
The all-state guard excelled on both ends of the court as her quick feet and hands made her a perfect weapon at the front of   Williamston’s press-heavy defense, which allowed her to turn quick steals into fast buckets. Paschal’s versatility and athleticism, coupled with the Tigers’ up-tempo style of play enabled her to climb all the way up to the No. 2 spot on state’s all-time girls scoring list as she racked up 3,150 points.
Paschal’s accomplishments caught the eyes of ECU coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener, who recruited and signed Paschal, but never got a chance to coach her because she accepted a job offer at Georgia State before Paschal got a chance to lace up her purple and gold Nikes.
Baldwin-Tener’s departure opened up the door for Heather Macy to take over at East Carolina. Paschal had developed a close relationship with Baldwin-Tener but said that she was more than comfortable with her new coach.
“I had already known Coach Macy, I went to a couple of her camps when I was around 10- or 11(-years old),” Paschal said. “I didn’t want Coach Baldwin-Tener to leave but if anybody had to replace her I would want it to be Coach Macy.”
Paschal entered her rookie season having been the star of just about every team she has played on but during the 2010-11 season the freshman appeared in only 14 games as ECU finished the year going 16-15 (9-7 Conference USA).
“The season was good, I didn’t get as much playing time as I hoped for but I think it was just a learning experience,” Paschal said. “I learned a lot about basketball in general. There is a lot you have to learn but I think I will be better for it next year because I already know the offense and I know what Coach Macy expects. I think next year will be a better season for me.”
Like any good player, Paschal tried to make the most out of her time on the pine.
“It was difficult because of course I wanted to play; I was biting my nails to get into the game,” Paschal said. “But you try to learn from it. I would watch the older girls play and how they ran the offense and how they pressed and everything. I would just try to learn from them so that next year I could be better.”
Aside from adjusting to a higher level of competition, the Pirates shooting guard had to learn clock management as the freshman juggled a full course load with the responsibilities of a Div. I athlete.
“My dad (D.H. Conley football coach Brian Paschal) had always told me how much time it took but I don’t think anybody really understands until they do it,” Paschal said. “I mean you have trips, you have to watch film before and after practice and you have team meetings … Sometimes if we couldn’t get into the gym later in the day we would wake up before class and have a 5:30 (a.m.) practice.”
The transition from high school senior to college freshman can be a tough one, but Paschal feels having gone through it will make for a better sophomore season.
“I’ll be so much more comfortable,” Paschal said. “Last year I didn’t know what to expect but now there is nothing new anymore. I can focus on playing and trying to get playing time instead of just trying to figure everything out; there will be no real surprises.”
Paschal said she has enjoyed campus life and likes living in Greenville and next year she plans on living in on campus with teammates Ariana Jackson and Celeste Stewart along with long-time friend Samantha Jones, who has done her hair before game days since high school.
Paschal’s plans for the summer include working out, working on her game and taking classes.
“Coach Macy told me I need to get my shot off quicker, so I have been working on that a lot,” Paschal said. “In the weight room I have been working real hard to get physically ready. We’ve been working on speed and conditioning and I feel like they are really preparing us for next year.”