Women's Basketball

Faraudo: Five Questions with Tia Hay

By Jeff Faraudo
#WCChoops Columnist | ARCHIVES
2020 WCC TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

Tia Hay grew up in Melbourne, Australia, went to high school in Sacramento, to junior college in Salt Lake City and now is playing possibly the final games of her college career for Santa Clara at the University Credit Union West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas.

Hay contributed 11 points and seven assists to the Broncos’ 72-65 overtime win over USF in opening-round play at Orleans Arena on Thursday. Afterward, we caught up with the well-traveled senior guard to ask her five questions:

Q: Who taught you your unusual one-handed shot?

“That’s just how I’ve always shot. It was worse looking when I was younger. Coaches in Australia tried to fix. It got better, but it’s still off. I never borrowed it from anyone, never saw anyone else do it. I’ve tried to fix it but it always comes back to this one hand.”

Q: In spite of that, you are the most accurate free throw shooter in the WCC, converting 85.5 percent after making all four attempts today. What makes you so good at the free throw line?

“We work a lot of free throws in practice. I just take a deep breath and shoot it with with my one hand. I try not to think too much. That’s when I get messed up.”

Q: In fact, you were shooting 92 percent before going 9-for-15 over three games leading into the WCC tournament. What happened there?

“I lost focus a little. I just need to get more reps in. Most of the time (when I miss), it’s just because I'm not focused.”

Q: How and when did you come from Australia to the U.S.?

“I came over in 2015 to play summer league ball in San Francisco, where my dad was living. Then, I moved to Sacramento to live with my mom and I finished high school there. After that, I went to Salt Lake City Junior College — I loved that school. It’s actually pretty warm there in the summer, but it’s freezing in the winter. The winters kind of catch you off guard.”

Q: You’re a sociology major at Santa Clara, but your bio says you originally planned to study public health science. Do you have any insights on how people should cope with the coronavirus outbreak?

“Just the common-knowledge stuff. Wash your hands. Sneeze on your shoulder. Don’t be touching everyone.”