By Duane Cochran for FightingFalcons.com

With 2:52 left in the second quarter of Fairmont State's road game with West Liberty at the Hilltoppers' ASRC back on Jan. 15 Falcon junior guard Sierra Kotchman positioned herself defensively in the lane and took a charge.
 
Fairmont's bench erupted with cheers after the call, while Kotchman, still seated in the paint, casually looked at her teammates and coaching staff and held up one finger.
 
The play and gesture, which signified the first career collegiate charge Kotchman had ever taken, caused first-year Fairmont State head coach Stephanie Anderson to smile the smile of a proud parent. For it was then Anderson knew, unequivocally, that her standout player had become a complete basketball player.
 
From day one at Fairmont State Kotchman's talents on the offensive end of the floor were never questioned. She was the Mountain East Conference's Freshman of the Year in 2017-18 when she scored 556 points and garnered second-team all-league honors. She followed that up by making the All-MEC first-team unit as a sophomore and most recently became the fastest woman in program history to reach the 1,500-point mark for her career. She currently has 1,539 career points which ties her for ninth in school history with Jennifer Wilson. She's also fourth in Fairmont State history in career made 3-point field goals (246) and first in school history in career free throw percentage (.890, 245-of-275).
 
The knock, however, on Kotchman during her first two seasons was that she didn't care much about playing defense. When Anderson, who was an assistant coach for the team for five seasons, took over the head coaching duties for Fairmont State in May of 2019 changes were in store. Anderson, who played her college ball at California (Pa.) University, is a defensive-minded coach first and foremost and demands that her players excel on that end of the floor.
 
"Right after I got the job I remember Sierra coming to see me and saying 'Well, I guess now I have to play defense,'" Anderson said. "I told her 'Sierra life is full of choices. If you want to play for me you can choose to play defense. Or you can choose not to and you can sit next to me on the bench.'"
 
Kotchman smiled and, without hesitation, responded with "I guess I'll play defense."
 
"Sierra is obviously an extremely talented basketball player," Anderson said. "When we recruited her we were very impressed with her. Her offensive skills were outstanding. In fact, she may be the best offensive player I've ever recruited. Both times I went to see her she dropped 30 points on teams. Usually when you go to see a player and they know you're there they may get a little nervous and play okay, but maybe not at the level they usually play at. That wasn't the case with her.
 
"She was being recruited by other schools, but not highly recruited. I think some schools maybe had an issue with her size and speed, but what they didn't realize was the work ethic she has, her heart, her love for the game and desire to always improve herself. People talk about basketball being their life and being a gym rat. That's Sierra.
 
"When I got this position defense is huge for me. I said right there and then Sierra has to play defense to play for me. Taking charges is very important and a big part of that. We're going to see where she lies with this. The funny thing is Sierra would be the first to tell you that playing defense wasn't a main priority for her. Honestly, we weren't sure if we could teach toughness or teach kids to be competitors at all times on both ends of the floor. Right now she's probably the person on this team I'm most proud of in terms of her growth as a player.
 
"That night up at West Liberty when she took the first charge of her college career she literally looked at me and pointed because it was right there and then that everything changed for her. I was like yes, she gets it. I was so proud of her."
 
Just like in her first two seasons Kotchman leads the Falcons in scoring this year with a 19.2 average. However, she also is first on the team this season in assists with 87, first in minutes played with an average of 37.4 per contest, second on the team in rebounds with 118, second in blocked shots with seven and third in steals with 31.
 
"Steph challenged me at the beginning of the year in terms of my defense and I knew if I wanted to play the whole game I was going to have to get better at that," Kotchman said. "Honestly, it's been a big change for our whole team. We were really offensive-minded here in the past. Now, on defense we want to get stops and we have bullseyes that we want to achieve in terms of our defense. We're really focused on achieving those bulleyes.
 
"I think we've all done a great job of focusing on our defense and getting better as a team defensively. I know I've gotten better. The charge I took at West Liberty was my first one in college. Now, I think I've taken four. I've tried to take more, but haven't gotten them. Brooke (Kurucz) does it all of the time for us, so I figured I can too. I'm kinda proud of that now."
 
Kotchman is a true two-guard, but because of injuries this season has had to play the point at times for the Falcons. It's a new challenge for her, but one she's accepted and has handled well.
 
"The thing about Sierra is she'll do anything we ask her to do and she'll do it to the best of her ability no questions asked," Anderson said. "We've put a lot on her plate this season. We've asked her to do things that she's really not comfortable doing, but she never complains. She responds each and every night.
 
"She's a player that never takes a rep off in practice or a game. She has one speed and we know we can count on her at all times to absolutely give us and our team 100 percent."
Fairmont State junior guard Kamrin Weimer agrees.
 
"Sierra has the best work ethic I've ever seen," Weimer said. "She has a drive that nobody else has. A lot of people maybe don't see it and I'd say some people are confused about it because with her it's internal. You don't hear a lot about it or hear her say anything about it.
 
"Even though we played together last year I've really gotten to know her much better this year. Without a doubt she's one of my best friends on the team. She's cool to be around. It's fun to hear her talk and her take on things.
 
"I've also never met anyone so set in their ways or so routine oriented. She has her way and she's going to do it that way and you're either in or out. I kinda respect that. Believe me we try to screw around with her and change her routine, but it's not allowed. We shoot together pretty much every day and she always has to pick out the ball. If I pick out the ball it's not the right one. She also has to determine how many shots we're going to make that day. If I try to set that amount it's not right. I've pretty much learned to just roll with it and laugh.
 
"Honestly, I have really enjoyed playing with her this year. I have a whole new appreciation for her now that I can be on the court with her the whole game and be in the gym with her before or after practice. We also watch a lot of film together, so like I said my appreciation for her as a player and her talents has really grown. She's a special individual."
 
Kotchman, who has been pretty health conscious since her senior season in high school and who recently took her healthy eating to another level, also tries to look out for her Fairmont State teammates – especially Weimer.
 
"She drinks too much Mountain Dew," Kotchman said of Weimer. "I tell her all of the time how bad that is for her. There's so much sugar in that and that leads to ligament stretch which leads to injuries like sprained ankles. I'm on her all of the time, but she really doesn't listen to me. Someday maybe she will. Maybe next year.
 
"I really try to limit carbs and my sugar intake. Since I made a bigger change in my diet a few weeks ago I just feel so much better. I feel like I have so much more energy. I need that if I'm going to be on the floor 40 minutes a night."
 
Earlier this season prior to a home game Fairmont State athletic trainer Bob Cable offered Weimer a piece of peanut butter fudge. Weimer graciously accepted the fudge and was prepared to enjoy it when she was tackled by Kotchman and had the fudge taken away from her.
 
"She literally tackled me and took the fudge from me," Weimer said. "She told me 'You can't eat that before a game.' Sad thing is I never did get to eat it. Even after the game."
An admitted perfectionist, Kotchman's drive to be the best she can be comes honestly. Her mother Jackie (Bonus) Kotchman was the first female basketball player at Ohio University to score 1,000 points during her career.
 
"We're best friends," said Kotchman. "Growing up I always looked up to her. She's my No. 1 role model. She did what she did at Ohio University using a men's ball and without a 3-point line. If they would've had one she would've had a lot more points.
 
"She coached me from a young age too. She was my travel team coach through eighth grade and being the daughter of a coach I always got it. We never had any problems. We've always had a really good relationship.
 
"She and my dad (Tracy Kotchman) really instilled in me my work ethic and my desire to never be satisfied in anything I do in life. They've always taught me to be disciplined and focused in anything I do.
 
"My mom and I coach an eighth grade travel team in Washington (Pa.) during the summer. That's fun. They call themselves the Falcons and wear maroon and white so that's pretty cool. I still learn a lot from my mom and she still coaches me in the summer."
 
Kotchman has two older siblings – a sister Ally, who is 28 and a brother Jesse, who is 23. She wears No. 14 because Ally wore that number and she looked up to her a lot growing up.
 
She also has a close relationship with her 83-year old grandmother Jean Hoffman.
 
"Gram comes to almost all of my games," she said. "She's my biggest fan."
 
As a youth Kotchman also excelled as a shortstop in softball, but when she got to Trinity High School in Washington, Pa. she gave softball up to concentrate on basketball. She finished her prep career with 1,706 points, including a single-season school record 550 points as a senior.
 
During her senior season Kotchman helped Trinity become the first Washington County school to make the state finals in girls' basketball. The Hillers, however, lost in the PIAA Class 5-A championship game to Archbishop Wood, 34-26, in front of over 7,000 fans in Hershey, Pa.
 
In her first two seasons at Fairmont State Kotchman scored 1,060 points, but the team struggled and was just around .500 going 29-30. There was a point where Kotchman considered transferring, but when Anderson was named as the seventh head coach in Fairmont State women's basketball history in May Kotchman was all in.
 
"I love it here at Fairmont State," Kotchman said. "I think it's awesome that now we have an opportunity to change the culture of Fairmont State women's basketball. I know what Steph's vision is for our program. I know what she wants it to be in the coming years, so to be a part of the beginning of it is pretty amazing.
 
"I'm blessed to have the best coaches. Steph and (assistant coach) Miki (Glenn) have all the faith in the world in me and our team. They believe in us no matter what. It's a great feeling to know your coaches have your back and have confidence in you. Steph tells us all of the time to play hard and have fun with it. That's what we've been trying to do.
 
"So many times after practices we'll hang around, chill and talk. We talk about basketball and life. We honestly enjoying hanging out with each other and sometimes we'll be there for like an hour after practice. This year I love it so much. I'm so happy I'm here. I love Steph. I love what she does for us as players and I love playing for her."
 
For Anderson the feeling is mutual. She says often times Kotchman will beat her to her office in the mornings to watch film.
 
"Sierra is one of the most dedicated and disciplined players I've ever been around," Anderson said. "She's very coachable and she wants to be coached. Sometimes you almost forget that with her. She's in my office so much she knows what I'm thinking all of the time.
 
"When we're on the floor I never really have to correct her because she knows what I'm going to say and exactly what I'm thinking. Sometimes when she's not playing well she'll come up to me and say 'You need to tell me I suck and what I need to do better.' She wants you to be honest with her and she wants constructive criticism. Great kids want to be coached and want to be told the truth. She literally is that.
 
"As for peer pressure. Forget about that with her. It doesn't exist. This girl canceled her Netflix this year so she wouldn't be distracted and so she could concentrate on film. She watches so much film. Often times in the mornings she'll beat me to my office and be waiting on me to watch film."
 
Kotchman, who is majoring in business marketing, also excels in the classroom. In the future she'd like to coach at some level and also has aspirations of starting a business geared toward fitness and basketball which offers camps, clinics and tournaments.
 
For now, however, she's strictly focused on helping to make her team the absolute best it can be. The Falcons are currently 13-12 overall and 10-9 and in sixth place in the 12-team Mountain East Conference with three regular-season games remaining. Fairmont has already equaled its win total from last season and secured a berth in the upcoming MEC Tournament in Wheeling in March.
 
"I love my coaches and teammates," Kotchman said. "That's who I'm playing for. I know our potential and that our team can be a great team. We have to win these last three games and go into the tournament with the attitude that we're winning the whole thing because I believe we absolutely can. Our goal is to win the MEC Tournament and see what we can do from there. We just have to take it one game at a time."
 
Knowing Kotchman she'll do anything in her power to help Fairmont State achieve that goal.