"We've got another good one," said an elated Terry Zeh, coach of the Canisius College basketball Golden Griffins.

The "good one" is St. Mary's Catholic Secondary School alumna, Micayla Drysdale, a freshman starting guard for the NCAA Division 1 Golden Griffins.

Micayla followed another Mary's marvel to Canisius College, Jessie Lamparski, who graduated last year after four super seasons as the Griff's court general.

"Mic is a big-time guard," said Zeh. "Her feel for the game is tremendous. She's such a cerebral player -- so intelligent."

Clearly, the former Crusader made a "Golden" decision when she signed to play for the Griffins.

"The atmosphere, the coaching staff, the girls, everything, just felt right," said the remarkable rookie describing her campus visit. "I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I belonged. And the campus is very close to home which was a big factor in my decision. My parents have attended every home game and only missed a total of four away games the entire season."

And they didn't miss Mic's collegiate debut when Canisius travelled to West Virginia to hoop it up with the No. 12 ranked team in the U.S. of A. -- the West Virginia Mountaineers.

"The very first game I played in the NCAA as a Golden Griffin was a memorable moment," said the fired-up rookie. "Although we lost the game 76-49 it was an amazing experience to play against such a high-ranked team in a very large facility.

"I played 27 minutes and scored 13 points (team high scorer) and was smiling the entire game. And I had the support of my parents sitting in the stands!"

Mic admits, "it's been a challenge adjusting (to D.1 basketball) and although the transition was at first a little slow and bumpy, the support and encouragement I've received has made the experience nothing less than amazing.

"Learning to gel and adjust to new teammates, their playing styles, coaches and systems has been a process I have enjoyed. I am becoming more confident as the season progresses."

And, indeed, her coach has noticed her growing confidence.

"Initially, Mic played off the ball, but she's handling the ball again," said Zeh.

"As a result her game is so much more multi-dimensional.

"I want Mic to realize how good she can be. Everything she does (on the court) is sharp and crisp -- so clean. And she's shooting the heck out of the ball. She has earned her starting position. She's clearly one of the best rookies in the league."

And St. Mary's coach, Rich Wesolowski, remembers Micayla as a player who "leads by example. What else can I say -- she played two of her last high school games at OFSAA with a broken foot. No one knew it was broken, but everyone knew it was hurting. That's being a leader."

Not only is Mic leading on the court, but in the classroom, too, where she scored an impressive 3.9 GPA in her initial semester.

"And I am undertaking to maintain that average second semester."

Micayla concluded: "I have a new family here. And I feel like I belong."