ORLANDO — Since moving to the United States from the Dominican Republic, Emely Rodriguez has made a habit of turning relatively unheralded basketball teams into championship contenders.
As a high school junior, Rodriguez earned Miami Herald Miami-Dade Player of the Year honors after leading Horeb Christian to its first appearance in an FHSAA championship game. She moved north up the Turnpike to Kissimmee for her senior year and was a key piece in Central Pointe Academy’s SIAA title run.
Now, the 6-foot wing is making an instant impact for a UCF team determined to make waves in its second Big 12 campaign.
Rodriguez scored in double digits in four of her first six collegiate games, including an 18-point, seven-rebound outing against back-to-back NCAA tournament qualifier Marquette on Nov. 7. She matched her career-high in Sunday’s home win over Florida A&M, taking the Knights to 6-0 in the season’s opening month.
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Sytia Messer, the Knights’ third-year coach, hinted that Rodriguez — one of the highest-rated recruits in program history — would be a player worth watching this winter because of her scoring ability.
“Her and (assistant coach Mike) Carey are going at it with defense right now. But she can go get a basket,” Messer said last month at UCF’s media day event. “I’m excited about her. As long as we can teach her this intensity, this level, playing in the Big 12, that up and down (the court), she’s going to be good.”
“She’s a big mismatch for teams because most bigs can’t move that well, but she has a feel for the game too,” Horeb Christian coach Agustin Pelaez told the Herald at the conclusion of that season. “She wants to get to a place where she can change her life for herself and for her family.”
Offers rolled in as Rodriguez toured various showcases with her Miami-based travel team. Her final five included national champion South Carolina, UConn, Florida State and Arizona, in addition to the Knights.
