Low-key Muzio's career rebounds

On a basketball court, Lisa Muzio's emotions can range from stoic. To very stoic.

Her mom, Debbie, has offered this observation after watching her daughter play, "It looks like you don't care."

This week, 24 games into Muzio's career at Santa Rosa Junior College, Bear Cubs coach Lacey Campbell was asked if she could recall Muzio ever getting excited during a game.

Campbell laughed. And looked to assistant coach Carrie Parr for help. Nothing.

"I don't know what Lisa would look like fired up," Campbell finally said.

Muzio, SRJC's 5-foot-11 freshman forward, doesn't do fired up. But she does do a little bit of everything else for the Bear Cubs (16-9), who are ranked 19th in the state with 10 freshmen dotting their 12-person roster.

Muzio, an all-state selection at Rincon Valley Christian, enters tonight's Big 8 Conference game against visiting Diablo Valley College ranked among the conference's top 10 in points (15.4), rebounds (8.4), blocks (1.5), field goal percentage (.462) and free throw percentage (.750).

She's so mellow on the court that Campbell says she's constantly surprised when she sees her post-game stats. Muzio might score the quietest 20 points in the state.

For her part, Muzio, who smiles and laughs quite easily off the court, knows her demeanor during games can be misinterpreted.

"I'm trying really hard," she said with a laugh. "It's just the way I play."

On Tuesday, Muzio strolled into Haehl Pavilion 70 minutes before SRJC's game against Consumnes River, among the last Bear Cubs to arrive. Then she sat down for an interview. Then she had 23 points and 13 rebounds in a 77-53 win.

"Lisa reminds me a lot of (former SRJC star) Katie Franci," Bear Cubs sophomore guard Rachel Samana said. "Basketball is something they do and they're amazing at it. But basketball is not their life. She comes out to play, does what she does and then goes home."

Don't misunderstand. Muzio takes the game seriously. She's played year-round since age 8 -- playing on several AAU teams -- and Campbell and RVC coach Doug Crouse have never had issues with her work ethic.

But Muzio isn't the type to get nervous before games. Or complain about foul calls. Or cry after losses.

Debbie Steliga, her mom, believes her daughter's perspective comes from understanding that real adversity isn't a 2-for-12 shooting night. Muzio's parents divorced when she was 2 and Debbie, who later went through a second divorce, has raised Billy, 21, Lisa, 18, and Kelly, 13.

Debbie credits her family's Christian faith for keeping them close-knit through chaotic times. And for helping Muzio understand that basketball was a game. Not her identity.

"Lisa's goal isn't to play in the WNBA," Debbie said. "It's to get through school and become a physical therapist."

Muzio almost decided not to play basketball after high school. She missed the first three weeks of conditioning this fall before joining the Bear Cubs.

Her late arrival wasn't due to indifference, but bruised feelings.

Muzio began attracting recruiting interest as a freshman at Ukiah High, where she spent her first two years of high school. Three years later, as a senior at RVC, she averaged 16.9 points and shot 57 percent from the field to help lead the Eagles to a 31-4 record.

Her teammate and fellow all-state selection Teri Higgenbottom received a scholarship from Division I Gardner-Webb University. But the offers Muzio had envisioned never materialized. Humboldt State, a Division II school, offered a scholarship. But Muzio wasn't interested after her visit. A basketball scholarship alone couldn't guarantee happiness.

"I didn't want to go spend four years at a school I didn't fall in love with," Muzio said.

Muzio says the lack of offers upset her. And made her question her basketball ability. She had, after all, starred at tiny RVC. Maybe she just wasn't good enough to play beyond high school.

She began attending SRJC and working full-time at a pizza restaurant in Larkfield. She focused on her dream of becoming a physical therapist.

But Muzio's future teammates, many of whom had played on AAU teams with her, persisted. And finally won.

"They kept saying 'Come out for the team. We miss you,'" Muzio said. "I wasn't doing anything. I finally said 'Why not?'"

It didn't take long to see that she could play beyond high school.

Muzio averaged 12.7 points in her first three games to help lead SRJC to the championship at the Modesto Tournament. She has since scored 27 points against Shasta. And 24 against City College of San Francisco. And she had 19 points and 19 rebounds against Modesto.

Campbell says some colleges have noticed.

And Muzio, who is taking 13 units and working part-time, says she's interested in continuing her basketball career. But when she's asked about her dream college, her answer is revealing.

She says she'd like to attend Long Beach State.

It has a great physical therapy program.

You can reach Staff Writer Eric Branch at 521-5268 or eric.branch@pressdemocrat.com.