Rutgers-Newark Athletics

By Jim Hague

When ShaQuanna Marshall was a high school basketball player at the now-defunct Paterson Catholic, she was basically a defensive specialist on a team filled with talented players. The Cougars went 60-3, winning Passaic County and NJSIAA Non-Public B state titles during her final two years at the school, which closed soon after she graduated.

“It was really bad,” Marshall said. “We had a lot of heartbroken people. We didn’t have a place to go back to for reunions and big events. We were like a big, happy family. Everyone knew each other and cared for each other. It’s sad that I can’t go back and see my friends and teammates.”

Marshall earned her reputation for being a lightning-quick guard who would collect steals the way some people collect stamps and baseball cards. Marshall’s relentlessness on the defensive end of the floor had no peers in northern New Jersey.

“I take defense personal,” Marshall said. “I evolve my game around defense. Anyone can put the ball in the basket, but it takes a special player to be able to stop the other. That’s how I look at it.”

Marshall’s defensive tenacity drew attention from some schools like Dartmouth, Quinnipiac and Felician, but she wanted to stay close to home and get a solid education at a school like Rutgers.

“I’m glad that the coaches at Rutgers-Newark took notice, because I really wanted to come here,” Marshall said. “I liked the campus. Even though it’s in the city, it has a college feel to it. I liked being close to home. Being from Paterson, I was used to living in the city. I knew I could get a good education, which is important to me. I also wanted to be close to home and stay close to my Mom.”

Rutgers-Newark head women’s basketball coach Kevin Morris was ecstatic when he learned Marshall was attending R-N.

“I don’t think she had to be a scorer in high school,” Morris said of Marshall. “But you could see she did so many other things. She could defend, get steals, then get the ball up the floor. She’s just a hard worker, the complete package.”

Marshall averaged seven points, nearly four rebounds, 2.3 assists and two steals per game coming off the bench last season as a freshman, helping the Scarlet Raiders win 19 games and reach the championship game of the New Jersey Athletic Conference for the very first time. It was Marshall’s rebound basket and subsequent free throw that gave the Scarlet Raiders the lead for good in their NJAC semifinal upset of Kean last season.

When the 2011-2012 season began last month, Marshall found herself in a different role, one of being more of a scorer.

“I think that has sort of come naturally for her,” Morris said. “She’s developed a lot offensively and no question, we needed her to score more. She fills the void of what you may need. She rebounds if you need to rebound. She does everything we ask, so if scoring is what we need, then she’ll score.”

Knowing that the top two scorers from last year were no longer part of the Scarlet Raiders’ program, Marshall realized that she would have to become more of a scorer this season.

“I knew I had to produce more,” Marshall said. “It wasn’t like I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t nervous. Coach (Morris) always tells me that he wants me to be more aggressive, emphasizing going to the basket more and getting to the free throw line more. I worked hard in the summer on my shot to get ready. ”

Morris had faith in Marshall’s ability to score.

“She spent a lot of time practicing her shot and improving her range,” Morris said. “We encourage all of them to shoot and be aggressive, that they should wait until we say it’s a bad shot to stop shooting. ShaQuanna is good at it. She combines her quickness with strength. She’s solid. She has the ability to get to the basket and she’s fearless in doing so.”

It’s paid dividends, because Marshall is averaging 11.1 points per game this season, tops on the team. She’s guided the Scarlet Raiders to a 7-2 record in the early going.

“She’s been a delight,” Morris said. “She likes to play basketball and she’s in the gym all the time. There’s very little drama with ShaQuanna. She has a tremendous work ethic and she likes to be at practice. She just wants to win and she’s willing to do anything to help us win. She’s the kind of kid that you want to have on your team.”

Morris is not shocked by her offensive prowess.

“I’d have to say I’m very pleased, but not surprised,” Morris said. “I knew she could do it. She’s doing it without having any pressure of taking bad shots. She also gives us the versatility defensively of being able to guard bigger guards, because she plays bigger than her size. She’s just solid all around, speed, strength, athleticism.”

Marshall is also not shocked by her scoring totals.

“I’m not really surprised,” Marshall said. “When I shoot the ball now, I can feel it. It’s something I can do.”

Marshall is a mathematics major at Rutgers-Newark, with the hope of one day becoming a math teacher. Right now, she doesn’t care about her personal statistics.

“I just want to win and play basketball,” Marshall said. “It’s the only thing I’ve done since seventh grade. I love playing. It relieves all stress from me. I’m happy when I’m on the basketball court. Everything is good when I’m playing basketball.”

And everything is fine with the Scarlet Raiders when ShaQuanna Marshall has the basketball in her hands.