Gebisa Sisters Thankful to Play Together
November 28, 2002 | Women's Basketball
BadgerBall is celebrating Thanksgiving at a tournament in Pepperdine, Calif., but two of its members get to spend the holiday with family.
Sisters Ebba and Lello Gebisa will be playing together competitively this season for the first time since high school. There the pair formed a trio, with older sister Kuleni, in leading West Lafayette High School to the 1998 Class 3A Indiana State High School championship. Both list that event as their `Most Memorable Basketball Achievement'.
Ebba, a 6-3 sophomore, is the second leading scorer returning last season averaging 5.0 points and 3.5 rebounds as a reserve. In two games, she has averaged 6.5 points and a workmanlike 7.0 rebounds per game. She collected 20 points to lead the Badgers in one of the exhibition games hitting 10-of-11 free throws.
"It's been a lot fun and I'm excited for the rest of the season," Ebba said of playing with her sister. "It's something that we both know not a lot of people get to do so we are not taking it for granted. We both feel blessed that we are able to play together at this level. It's also very special that all of our family is here and they are able to support both of us."
Lello, a 6-7 junior red-shirt transfer from Duke University, is playing her first competitive ball in two years. She played in 33 games as a reserve in two seasons at Duke, and sat out last year because of NCAA transfer rules, but did practice with the team.
The tallest player to ever suit up at Wisconsin, Lello showed her spirit and her playing prowess collecting 16 points and 16 boards in the second exhibition game. In the two regular season games Lello has averaged 7.0 points and rebounds, and collected six blocks. But more importantly, her own teammates credit her with motivating them with the energy she brings in off the bench.
When asked about returning to the lineup with her sister Lello said, "It's definitely a lot of fun to play together. We motivate each other, encourage each other a lot. It's good to have someone there who you know will pick you up when you need to be picked up."
Together with returning center 6-5 Emily Ashbaugh, Wisconsin will have the tallest front line in the Big Ten. That should pay dividends for a team looking to replace 66 percent of its scoring with the graduation of its All-Big Ten performers, Tamara Moore and Jessie Stomski.
The pair are the third set of sisters ever to play women's basketball at UW. Twins Kim and Kay Fredrickson played from 1987-91. Sisters Janet and Theresa Huff led the Badgers in one of their best seasons in school history. The 1981-82 team had a 21-13 record and won the AIAW Midwest Regional title qualifying the team for the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women national championship. The Badgers upset Colorado and made it to the quarterfinals against Texas.
Badger fans can hope this modern `dynamic duo' can equal the achievements of the Huffs, and perhaps will soon change that `most memorable' notation to a Big Ten Championship or better during their two years together at Wisconsin.
