Visit to father’s former stomping grounds sold North Catholic’s Myers on Duquesne

By: Josh Rizzo
Thursday, June 20, 2019 | 7:09 PM

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Tess Myers’ connection with basketball runs deep within her family.

By choosing Duquesne, North Catholic’s 5-foot-10 incoming senior guard and Lower Burrell resident chose to follow in her father’s legacy. Joe Myers played in 103 games for the Dukes in the early 1980s and scored more than 1,000 points.

Myers’ sister, Natalie, initially committed to and played at Division I Youngstown State before transferring to IUP (Pa.).

Tess cemented her place in the family tradition by announcing she was headed to Duquesne this week.

“My sisters are my biggest supporters and they push me all the time,” Tess Myers said. “We go to the YMCA all the time; Natalie pushes me to work harder. I play one-on-one with her and my dad and they don’t give me any breaks. (Natalie) is stronger than me and has gotten me better.”

Myers also had offers from Colorado, Temple, St. Joseph’s and others.

Landing on the Dukes’ roster wasn’t something Myers was married to early in the process. Once Duquesne expressed interest, and Tess visited with mom and dad in tow, she was sold.

“Not really,” said Tess on if Joe had to talked to her about playing at Duquesne. “They never really recruited me, and they came in late in my recruitment. I’m coming up on my last AAU tournament and they offered me before that. I always thought in the back of my head that would be nice.”

What caught Duquesne coach Dan Burt’s attention was the leap Myers made between her sophomore and junior season. Myers was in improved physical condition and led the Trojanettes by averaging 15.7 points. Myers also contributed 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 steals per contest.

North Catholic, which finished 26-4, won its third straight WPIAL Class 4A title and finished as PIAA runner-up.

“I definitely worked hard during junior year,” Myers said. “That’s what Duquesne coach Dan Burt said. They were impressed with the jump I made. I improved in all three levels of my game. I improved my shooting, going to the hoop and I have gotten in better shape.”

Many eyes were opened to Myers before her junior year. As a sophomore, she left an indelible mark at the WPIAL Class 4A final at Petersen Events Center.

Her runner with 1.1 seconds remaining propelled the Trojanettes to a 60-59 come-from-behind victory over Beaver. North Catholic trailed by 12 points entering the fourth quarter before rallying to stun the Bobcats.

Myers would like to keep helping the Trojanettes create more championship moments.

“I feel like a lot of stress is off my shoulders,” Myers said. “I just want to keep working hard and win another WPIAL title and get back to states. We want to add that title.”

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