Ducks Add Garbin to the Mix
EUGENE, Ore. ? Nicole Garbin’s playing days at the University of Oregon may not be over after all.
Two days after the UO soccer team was snubbed and denied admittance to the 2006 NCAA Women’s College Cup despite placing second in the Pac-10, the Wailuku, Hawai’i, native was back in a green and yellow uniform, donning No. 45 for the women’s basketball team.
"We're excited to have her as a part of this program," head coach Bev Smith said of the 5-7 guard. "She knows what it takes to compete at the Division I level and brings a great amount of energy."
The Ducks roster, recently depleted due to the exit of junior wing Kristen Forristall, now stands at 11 players with the addition of Garbin.
It’s not the sixth-year senior’s first time on the hardwood for the Ducks or otherwise. Garbin, a Maui League player of the year in high school, spent time practicing with Oregon’s hoop squad as a freshman in 2001-02, but never saw any game action.
A four-time Pac-10 player of the week on the pitch, Garbin made a strong bid for All-America honors, ending the soccer season with 12 goals, nine game-winning goals and 25 points -- all Oregon records. Her school-record career totals include 34 goals, 22 game-winning goals and 83 points.
