Blame the Boys and Girls Club.

That's the source of the crazy looking shot of CSI sophomore Shauneice Samms.

Growing up in Tacoma, Wash., Samms visited the local Boys and Girls Club on the weekend for shooting workouts. The instructors had her and the other players work on form shooting.

"They would have us touch the ball three times (with our off hand) and then just shoot with the one hand," said Samms. "That's just how I started shooting."

Far from textbook, but plenty effective, that one-handed shot helped Samms lead the Golden Eagles in field-goal percentage last season with a 57-percent mark that led to 15.2 points per game and NJCAA All-American status.

Thank the Boys and Girls Club.

After a summer of work on her unique release, she's finding the bottom of the net even more frequently - including from 3-point range where she was just 6 of 21 last season.

"She still has that funky one-handed shot, but she's taken so many reps and gotten in so many shots this summer that if she has an open shot on the perimeter, 3-point and beyond, fire it up," said CSI head coach Randy Rogers.

But points are just one facet of Samms' game. She added more than eight rebounds a game last year and led the Scenic West Athletic Conference with 101 blocks - 3.5 per game.

"With Shauneice, you're going to get the steady dose of what she brings and that's effort, athleticism, a great feel for where the basket is, physicality on defense," said Rogers. "In transition, she really gets up and down the floor.

"She's going to put up a lot of good stats and you'll have to look at the stat book to notice all of them at the end of the game."

Besides stuffing the stat sheet, Samms also provides the plucky comic relief. She's almost always in conversation with the game officials, something she continues during the men's games as she cheers on boyfriend Chuck Odum.

"It makes it funnier," Samms said of her dialogue with the referees, "especially when they're making bad calls and they know they are."

"The officials always seem to enjoy her," said Rogers. "It makes you nervous when one of your players is always talking to officials, but they always come back and say, 'She was saying some things, but it was always good.'"

Samms has a good time on the court, but her focus is there. On the court, in the classroom, she takes care of business. Just try talking to her when she's studying for a test. Totally focused on the task at hand, she won't hear a word of it.

All smiles, but all business as well.

After playing in the post as a freshman following a season-ending injury to 6-foot-2 center Maddie Plunkett, Samms is excited about her chance to play on the wing more this season.

She plans to display her abilities to handle the ball and get to the rim. She's also working to become an all-around leader for a team with 10 freshmen. So far, she's succeeding.

"She's a leader," said Rogers. "She's a team captain and does lead by example, not just one of those kids that throws out words, but backs them up with her effort."