Tamar Atinc:

Junior Tamar Atinc stands out as one of the few foreign students involved in women's sports at Harvard. The 5-ft., 4-in. guard for the women's basketball squad, who hails from Turkey, now calls Quincy House and the IAB home.

"The more you depend on her, the more she pulls through," Coach Carole Kleinfelder said yesterday. And "pulling through" is exactly what Atinc has done, especially in the last two games. Against Fitchburg State last month, Tamar was two-for-two from the field. But she saved her best for the Springfield contest, putting in four baskets on nine attempts, while garnering three rebounds and four assists.

Most of her teammates agree that Tamar is a "very private person, but a good team player." Captain Katherine Fulton, notes that "she commands a lot of respect because of the adjustments she has had to make."

In Turkey, athletics are less prominent than they are here. There are no professional teams, only amateur squads, of which basketball ranks a distant third behind the more popular soccer and wrestling.

In addition, Turkish villagers usually consider men superior to women, but Atinc said she has had little difficulty handling the idea of women's lib, as her performance on the court will readily attest.

About ten or 15 students from her high school come to school in the United States each year. Atinc, a government concentrator, has set familiar goals for herself. After graduation, she hopes to go to graduate school in America, and then return to Turkey.

After taking a leave from intercollegiate basketball in her sophomore year--instead leading the Quincy House women's intramural hoop team to a House championship--Atinc sees a great deal of change under new coach Kleinfelder. She says she enjoys playing much more, working harder with better people.

Teammates say the secret to Atinc's success on the court is her quickness. Guard Hildy Meyers said yesterday, "She's really quick, a good driver, and a good hustler."

In the Drive

Kleinfelder agreed that Atinc's strength is in her drive, and "her nice quick release from the outside."

Although not very tall, Atinc gets the job done and finds her size is a problem only on defense, when the opposition can easily pass over her.

Atinc's role as a basketball player is definitely changing. Unlike her playing days in Turkey, the game now no longer rests solely on her performance. Kleinfelder splits the responsibility on the floor among the five players, so that everyone contributes, and Tamar is no longer a one-woman offense.

Kleinfelder has only high praise for Atinc. "She has helped us by coming into her own in the past two games. You notice her because she's an exciting player and intent on the game. She's an awfully nice person who works hard at practice and adds another dimension to the team both on and off the floor."