Diminutive Salem State forward is standing tall on the court

When the Salem State women's college basketball team traveled to Worcester last Saturday to play Clark University and the host Cougars rolled out three 6-footers, Vikings coach Tim Shea didn't flinch.

Instead, he sent out a young woman who wouldn't reach 6 feet even with high heels: Manise Louinord.

"She's thin," said Shea. "About 5-7 . Maybe 5-8 at the most."

The Vikings' junior forward out-rebounded everyone, pulling down 14 boards after hauling down 12 rebounds and scoring 21 points against Babson.

The numbers were worthy of MASCAC Player of the Week honors, but to Shea, the stats were nothing new. Louinord's been cleaning up under the glass since her high school days at Lynn Classical.

"That's how she got the ball," said Shea, the Vikings coach since 1981. "That was her scoring opportunity. She developed that hunger for the ball. She had that coming in here; we didn't give her that. And she's taken advantage of it."

The numbers have only gotten better since she put on a Vikings jersey.

Louinord averaged 3.7 boards as a freshman, 6.4 last season, and this season the clip is up to 9.3 per night.

"Her quickness is so great that it overcomes that height," he said.

She's used two seasons at Salem State to refine her all-around game.

Along with ball-handling and outside shooting, defense was a focus coming into this season. Now she shadows the foe's best player, regardless of position.

"She's worked hard on her game," Shea said. "She's very well-rounded. She doesn't have to just get rebounds to get points now."

After going 22-7 last season and reaching the second round of the NCAA Division 3 tournament, the Vikings are 4-4, weathering a tough nonconference schedule, adjusting to the loss of three seniors, and searching for scoring from other sources.

"Manise is going to be a critical part of our season," Shea said. "No matter what."