BATON ROUGE - As all of Tiger Country rallies around the women's basketball team, one player in particular is finding special support in the Capital Area.

That's because she grew up here.

Izzy Besselman attended St. Jude the Apostle School, and went on to graduate from Episcopal School of Baton Rouge just last year.

After a high school career that saw her tally 1991 total points, and receive three District MVP honors, she joined the Lady Tigers as a walk-on, knowing she would be challenged to earn time on the court alongside some of the nation's best basketball players.

Besselman has appeared in 19 games in her freshman season, getting her first taste of college hoops as the starters and top reserves were pulled from the court toward each game's end.

Regardless of how much time she sees on the court Friday night, her Baton Rouge schools will be cheering her on.