By Mitch Abramson
Fortunately, she was rewarded for her servitude. Hill reached 1,000 points for her career on a three-pointer that contributed to the Patriots' 65-38 win over Beach Channel. She also broke the school record of 270 steals set by Teresa Rozza in the same game. One of the most complete players in the city, Hill finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and nine steals, and was unaware that she was approaching both milestones until the game was stopped and announcements were made. The day before against Bayside, Hill surpassed the school record for assists with 391, eclipsing Rozza's mark of 384. Again, Hill had no idea she was closing in on the mark until the game was stopped and the words were amplified over a loud-speaker. The Patriots are 12-0 in Queens A.”I didn't know what was going on,” said Hill, a 5-foot-7 senior guard. who helped the Patriots reach the PSAL Class A finals last year “They started honking the horn and making announcements. I was wondering why they were doing that. Did someone call timeout? “I just started smiling when I realized what happened. I'm proud of all the records. I guess it shows that I'm not just a scorer and can do other things on the court.”Hill's penchant for deferring to teammates and playing hard-nosed defense prompted her coach at Francis Lewis, Mike Eisenberg, to give the four-year player the ultimate compliment. “She plays the right way,” he said. “She could score 20 points a game if she wanted to, but she does what she has to do to win. I'm an old fashioned guy. “I don't like trash talking, and 'Tima doesn't block a shot and woof at another player. She goes about her business in a very professional manner. When you ask her why she plays that way, she'll say, 'I'm supposed to make that pass to the open player.' That's how she plays.” Hill's mother, Carlotta, is her No. 1 fan but she is not above giving some motherly heckling from the stands for her daughter to shoot the ball more. The two bantered back and forth at one game with Diatiema telling her mother to save her voice because she knew what she was doing. Averaging 17 points, six rebounds and six assists this year, Hill received a full scholarship to play at UMass next season, proving that indeed, she does.Reach reporter Mitch Abramson by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300 Ext. 130.
