Beth Tallant's relentless effort and intelligent play were trademarks of her days wearing No. 12 uniform for the Lady Demons.
Those traits already are serving her, and the Lady Demon program, quite well in her first season as a graduate assistant coach for Jennifer Graf.
In last year's media guide, she listed a quote from her father Chuck as her 'favorite saying" in her personality profile: "There are NO bad days, just some days better than others."
That's clearly her approach to life. A leader in the NSU Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter, Tallant was a tone setter for the Lady Demons in her last two seasons as a player -- even though she was a role player, not a starter.
She played in 107 games for the Lady Demons, starting just seven, three as a senior. She's quite proud that NSU was 80-27 in her four seasons, winning the 2004 SLC regular-season and tournament titles and reaching the NCAA Tournament. She could care less that her scoring and rebounding statistics were very modest. Her impact was anything but.
When the team needed a jolt of intensity, or a defensive stop, or a boost on the boards, or a figurative slap in the face during a lackluster practice of warmup, that's when Beth made extraordinary contributions.
She could also come through in the clutch, whether it was sinking free throws in tight games or, in two cases last season, being the difference in NSU winning or losing. Al Lamar, Northwestern notched a hard-fought win on an off-night with Tallant leading the effort. She posted her only career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, along with carer-best totals of three blocked shots and a game-high four steals in 22 minutes. Then, in the first round of the conference tournament, she scored six points in the final four minutes as the Lady Demons rallied from a 48-41 deficit, with Tallant's 8-foot leaning bank shot with 25 seconds left giving the Lady Demons the lead for the first time in a 51-48 victory.
A graduate of Denton (Texas) High School, Kathryn Elizabeth Tallant was bort to Chuck and Debra Tallant, who now reside in rural Sabine Parish. She has an older brother, Vince. Beth graduated with a psychology degree and is pursuing a master's in sport administration.
