Quantcast
skip navigation

Hub Q&A with Mankato Loyola's Lindsey Theuninck

By Kassondra Burtis, SportsEngine, 02/28/17, 6:45PM CST

Share

The senior could finish in the top 10 on the state's all-time career points list if she continues her torrid scoring.


Mankato Loyola's Lindsey Theuninck

Mankato Loyola senior Lindsey Theuninck begins this week leading Minnesota in scoring average for the season at 27.6 points per game and is second in total points with 689.

She scored a season-high 51 points in an 82-32 win over Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial in late January and tallied her 3,000th career point three games later in a 78-43 victory over United South Central on Jan. 30.

Theuninck, a 2017 Miss Minnesota Basketball semifinalist who also has more than 1,000 career rebounds, could reach another milestone before finishing her final high school season: moving into the top 10 on the state's all-time career points list.

The MN Girls' Basketball Hub took some time to ask the prolific scorer about her accomplishments.

What advice would you give young girls trying emulate your accomplishments?

I would tell young girls to work hard no matter what. Some days you don’t make your shots and some days you do, but you always have to keep working and not focus on when it doesn’t go well. One of my biggest regrets is not going my hardest every single day, because I think I could be even better than I am now.

--Lindsey Theuninck


MN Girls' Basketball Hub: What is your first memory of playing basketball?

LT: I started playing in the second grade for the YMCA, but I remember when I was in kindergarten watching my sister play. I decided to play because she was doing it and all my friends were doing it.

MN Girls' Basketball Hub: What is your favorite prep sports memory to date?

LT: At the (Class 1A) state basketball tournament when I was in ninth grade, we played Maranatha (Christian Academy). They were ranked either No. 1 or No. 2, and we went into overtime and ended up winning. It was a crazy game and I had, at the time, a game-high 37 points. We had three starters foul out, so three ninth-graders, one junior and one senior led us to the win at state.

MN Girls' Basketball Hub: What is the thing you look forward to most right after a game?

LT: On the bus, we’re always just goofing around and singing, and all the normal team stuff you do. I go home, and take a really hot shower, and chill and watch TV.

MN Girls' Basketball Hub: What song or kind of music do you listen to before a game?

LT: Anything I know the words to so I can jam out. I put on my Pandora radio on "Today’s Hits" and sing to those songs.

MN Girls' Basketball Hub: You are in the top two in the state in scoring. What do you attribute your success to, and what advice would you give young girls trying to achieve the same accomplishments?

LT: I attribute it to my teammates. Even if they don’t score as much as I do, they don’t care about who is scoring. They just care about the wins. I would tell young girls to work hard no matter what. Some days you don’t make your shots and some days you do, but you always have to keep working and not focus on when it doesn’t go well. One of my biggest regrets is not going my hardest every single day, because I think I could be even better than I am now.


Theuninck with her parents, Melissa and Rick Theuninck, after she scored her 3,000th career point.

MN Girls' Basketball Hub: You recently scored your 3,000th career point. How focused were you on reaching that milestone?

LT: I had read in the newspaper one day that I was 100-some points away from 3,000 and I had no idea I was that close, so that was nerve-racking. The next game I hit 51 points, so I was a lot closer. Two games later, everyone was telling me, “14 points, Lindsey!” and I felt a lot of pressure to get that. The shot when I hit 3,000, I came off a screen and hit a three-pointer. It felt perfect coming off my hands. I could see my whole family’s arms flailing and I could see how proud they were. My dad, who is my coach, gave me a big hug and my teammates were all so happy for me.

MN Girls' Basketball Hub: Who has been the biggest influence in your life?

LT: In basketball, my dad. He has been my coach ever since I can remember and is still my coach today. I owe everything in my basketball career to him. In life, my mom. I am really close with her and I can go to her for anything I need. She is a really amazing lady and I hope I can be like her when I grow up. Both of my parents tell me they are proud of me no matter what every night before I go to bed. It’s nice to know that I make them proud and they are happy.

MN Girls' Basketball Hub: Do you have a favorite subject in school?

LT: My favorite subject is history because of my teacher. She makes it so fun to learn. I hope that when I tell people about things, I have the same passion she does and make them interested in the things I do, the same way my teacher does.

MN Girls' Basketball Hub: Some people like to eat ice cream straight from the tub, others like to binge watch shows on Netflix. What’s your guilty pleasure?

LT: Probably eating sweets in general. I love chocolate and peanut butter. Reese’s peanut butter cups are my favorite, or any kind of ice cream.

MN Girls' Basketball Hub: What’s your dream after graduation?

LT: I am attending South Dakota State University, but I have no idea of what I want to major in yet. But I want to be successful and passionate about it in whatever I do. Also, I want to at some point go on a mission trip and help people in a Third World country. I know a lot of people who have gone on one with their parents or church, and it sounds like such an amazing experience where you can learn so much.

Related Stories

  • On the court, Chloe’s ‘secret storm’ clears

  • By Chip Scoggins, Star Tribune 03/13/2024, 3:00pm CDT
  • When she was younger, Chloe Johnson’s life was consumed by battles with obsessive-compulsive disorder and another rare condition. Rather than hide her challenges, the 14-year-old has used basketball to meet them head on.
  • Read More