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Wiersma twins give OSU moxie _______________________ Ex-Crater stars fuel 9-3 Beavers _______________________ By GREG STILES I f Oregon State's women's basketball appears a tad more feisty this season, blame it on the Wiersma twins. The freshmen sisters from Central Point have instilled an infectious attitude both in practice and games. "They are both very tough competitors," Oregon State coach Judy Spoelstra says. "Having two sisters like that teaches the rest of us that we can still get after each other and still love each other at the end of practice or a game." The Beavers (9-3, 1-2 Pac-10) have shown a great deal more spunk than a year ago when they finished 7-20 overall and 2-16 in the Pac-10. They won eight of their first nine games, losing only to No. 8 Colorado State, prior to getting blasted by UCLA on Friday night. From the opening game, when Chassie Wiersma led the team with 16 points and 12 rebounds in a victory over San Diego State, the twins have had a profound impact. "I can see a big difference," Cherrith Wiersma says. "It seems like everyone is working a lot harder. Our intensity level rubs off on them. It's cool that we can make that kind of impact." It's fair to say that Spoelstra didn't expect what she was getting when she signed Chassie to a letter of intent and told Cherrith there was also a spot on the roster for her -- minus a scholarship. Spoelstra had seen Chassie play summer ball and knew she could perform in the Pac-10. What Spoelstra couldn't foresee was Cherrith's potential, because she was still recovering from the effects of a devastating knee injury. Nor could she imagine the impact the sisters would have on the Beavers' attitude. "Even though they don't guard each other in practice, they get after each other," Spoelstra says. "They come every day ready to practice hard and play hard and they make everyone else play hard as a result." Chassie says it was just a matter of doing what comes naturally for youngsters trying to make their mark. "I think coming out of high school we were fired up," says Chassie. "We work as hard as we can; it's just our mentality." Chassie gained first-team all-state honors as Crater finished second in last year's Class 4A state tournament. Cherrith quietly played point guard, limited by a knee brace she wore after undergoing surgery to repair ligaments damaged when the sisters collided during a 1997 tournament game. When Chassie signed a letter of intent, Cherrith was told she had a spot on the team but there was no guarantee of anything beyond that. Undeterred, Cherrith set out to prove naysayers that she was capable of having an impact on a major-college team. "At the time, I was pretty angry," Cherrith admits. "It made me really mad. I wasn't sure if I was just thrown in there just because Chassie was coming. That's what made me work so hard. I wanted to be like her and wanted to get what she was getting." Weights, running, court time - whatever it took - Cherrith prepared herself for fall workouts. By the time Oregon State's Nov. 17 season-opener against San Diego State rolled around, Cherrith was in the starting lineup and on full scholarship. "It was very clear that when practices started, she was the one trying to get the team moving in the right direction," Spoelstra says. "Cherrith is a very confident individual. She feels really deep down that she can get it done and listens very well." Heading into the weekend series in Los Angeles against No. 10 UCLA and Southern Cal, Cherrith was second in minutes played (25 per game) and No. 1 in assists. "I was surprised in one sense, because I had never seen her play without the knee brace," Spoelstra says. "I was impressed by her lateral movement. She doesn't favor the knee and it seems to be stronger than before." Sophomore Syesha Thomas of Bellevue, Wash., spells Cherrith at point guard and applies a different kind of pressure. "Syesha has stepped up and it gives us two different looks," Spoelstra says. "Cherrith is conservative and runs our offense and Syesha runs the fastbreak and splits traps very well. What I'm asking is that they study each other and take positive things from one another." Chassie has also started every game for the Beavers and ranks fourth in both scoring (7.1) and rebounds (3.7) for the team as the off guard. "The Pac-10 is a step up compared to the games we were playing in the preseason," says Chassie. "You have to react, anticipate and think faster. And I think it's more physical." With the loss of veteran center Sissel Pierce to a knee injury this week, the Beavers started four freshmen, including North Medford graduate Ericka Brosterhous. Brosterhous had played on all-star teams with the twins, but is in with them for the long haul now. "They give everything they've got," says Brosterhous. "They dive after loose balls and sacrifice their bodies. They make you want to play harder, because they make you feel bad if you're not busting your butt and they are." That kind of attitude pleases the coach. "I am surprised, amazed and pleased with all of our freshmen," Spoelstra says. "It's my sanity every day when I can go to practice and be around these people." Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford,