Photo by: Andrew Pedersen
Level-Headed Mindset Helps Carry Squires on Court
2/8/2019 9:53:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oliana Squires is making a big impact for the Bobcats as she grows as a team leader
Oliana Squires tried a couple of sports before landing on basketball. Like most kids, she tried soccer, cheerleading and then one day she tried basketball and never looked back.
"I first started out as a cheerleader, then I went to soccer," said Squires. "My dad asked me one day if I wanted to give basketball a try and ever since then I've really loved it."
At Sand Creek High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., Squires's career took off. The guard led her team to three consecutive conference titles and to the Class 4A state championship game. In her last game in high school, she tied a Colorado state tournament record scoring 43 points in the Class 4A semi-finals. Her senior year, she was one of the best players in the state. Squires averaged 23.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.7 steals per game.
Due to her high school success, Squires was one of 27 players invited to compete for the 2016 USA women's U18 national team. This tryout was an opportunity to play with the best players from around the country, an unforgettable experience the now Montana State junior.
"It was an amazing experience getting to play with a ton of the top girls in the country," said Squires. "I got really good experience playing against them and it gave me an idea on what my skill level was then compared to all of them."
When Squires looked into where she would start her college career as a student-athlete, Montana State stood out. She took her official visit, walked around the campus, and spent time with players and coaches before committing in November of her senior year.
As soon as Squires arrived on campus, she was ready for the rigors of a college athlete's schedule. Her freshman year in 2016, she averaged over 14 minutes a game, contributing to MSU's 25-7 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Squires plays the game with a collective demeanor. She always seems to be in control, and no matter who is covering her, she keeps her pace rarely getting sped up.
"I've always been like that," said Squires. "People have always told me that and I think being level-headed is good. Not getting too high or too low."
Squires's success wasn't limited to the basketball court. Studying exercise science, she was rewarded for her work off the court being named an All-Big Sky Conference Academic honoree. Squires demeanor might be more accurately described as focused.
Her freshman success put her in a position to take a larger role on the court. Squires' sophomore year she started all 31 games. She was one of the team leaders averaging over 10 points a game on upwards of 25 minutes of game action.
This year ,Squires has taken on more of a leadership role. Her and juniors Madeline Smith and Blaire Braxton were the only returning players to get starts last season. With all of the new faces from freshmen to transfers, Squires could be considered a stabilizing figure.
"I think the hardest part is getting used to the way your new teammates play and getting chemistry with them," said Squires. "Taking on more of a leadership role this year was definitely a challenge, but, it hasn't been bad and I've enjoyed it."
Squires's leadership has been on full display of late.
The Bobcats started out slow in last Saturday's Brawl of the Wild versus Montana in Worthington Arena, failing to score for almost the first five minutes of the game. Then Squires took over. She established the tempo, scoring or assisting on MSU's first 11 points to spark a 74-52 Bobcat win. The level-headed guard recorded 20 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. After a loss to Northern Colorado on Monday, Squires helped MSU respond with 13 points and 16 rebounds in a road victory Thursday at Eastern Washington.
She's currently second on the team in scoring average (10.9), leads the team with 82 total assists and is the lone Bobcat to start every game this season. Her play speaks for itself. Despite her demeanor, Squires has turned into one of the most intimidating guards in the Big Sky, always up for the big stage.
Squires and the Montana State women's basketball team next take on Idaho in Moscow Saturday inside Cowan Spectrum.
"I first started out as a cheerleader, then I went to soccer," said Squires. "My dad asked me one day if I wanted to give basketball a try and ever since then I've really loved it."
At Sand Creek High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., Squires's career took off. The guard led her team to three consecutive conference titles and to the Class 4A state championship game. In her last game in high school, she tied a Colorado state tournament record scoring 43 points in the Class 4A semi-finals. Her senior year, she was one of the best players in the state. Squires averaged 23.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.7 steals per game.
Due to her high school success, Squires was one of 27 players invited to compete for the 2016 USA women's U18 national team. This tryout was an opportunity to play with the best players from around the country, an unforgettable experience the now Montana State junior.
"It was an amazing experience getting to play with a ton of the top girls in the country," said Squires. "I got really good experience playing against them and it gave me an idea on what my skill level was then compared to all of them."
When Squires looked into where she would start her college career as a student-athlete, Montana State stood out. She took her official visit, walked around the campus, and spent time with players and coaches before committing in November of her senior year.
As soon as Squires arrived on campus, she was ready for the rigors of a college athlete's schedule. Her freshman year in 2016, she averaged over 14 minutes a game, contributing to MSU's 25-7 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Squires plays the game with a collective demeanor. She always seems to be in control, and no matter who is covering her, she keeps her pace rarely getting sped up.
"I've always been like that," said Squires. "People have always told me that and I think being level-headed is good. Not getting too high or too low."
Squires's success wasn't limited to the basketball court. Studying exercise science, she was rewarded for her work off the court being named an All-Big Sky Conference Academic honoree. Squires demeanor might be more accurately described as focused.
Her freshman success put her in a position to take a larger role on the court. Squires' sophomore year she started all 31 games. She was one of the team leaders averaging over 10 points a game on upwards of 25 minutes of game action.
This year ,Squires has taken on more of a leadership role. Her and juniors Madeline Smith and Blaire Braxton were the only returning players to get starts last season. With all of the new faces from freshmen to transfers, Squires could be considered a stabilizing figure.
"I think the hardest part is getting used to the way your new teammates play and getting chemistry with them," said Squires. "Taking on more of a leadership role this year was definitely a challenge, but, it hasn't been bad and I've enjoyed it."
Squires's leadership has been on full display of late.
The Bobcats started out slow in last Saturday's Brawl of the Wild versus Montana in Worthington Arena, failing to score for almost the first five minutes of the game. Then Squires took over. She established the tempo, scoring or assisting on MSU's first 11 points to spark a 74-52 Bobcat win. The level-headed guard recorded 20 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. After a loss to Northern Colorado on Monday, Squires helped MSU respond with 13 points and 16 rebounds in a road victory Thursday at Eastern Washington.
She's currently second on the team in scoring average (10.9), leads the team with 82 total assists and is the lone Bobcat to start every game this season. Her play speaks for itself. Despite her demeanor, Squires has turned into one of the most intimidating guards in the Big Sky, always up for the big stage.
Squires and the Montana State women's basketball team next take on Idaho in Moscow Saturday inside Cowan Spectrum.
Players Mentioned
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