Carter's Corner: Dimaite Content as Final Season Bounces On
Sunday, December 20, 2015 | Women's Basketball, Scott Carter
Fifth-year senior finally feels healthy with Gators off to 9-1 start
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- She scored two points, had two blocks and grabbed three rebounds a week ago in the Florida women's basketball team's win over Robert Morris.
A modest performance by any measure. Still, any time fifth-year senior Viktorija Dimaite steps onto the court, stats are not high on her priority list.
"I know I will not be the person who plays 40 minutes,'' she said Friday as the Gators prepared for today's game against St. Francis in the Gator Holiday Classic. "When I'm on the floor … I try to do all the right things the coaches are asking me. That's my main goal."
If you want a stat relevant to Dimaite's college career, try this one: she played a career-high 13 minutes against Robert Morris, or 8 percent of her career total (155 minutes).
That might not seem notable until you take into account Dimaite has been a member of the Gators for five seasons.
A 6-foot-4 center from Lithuania, Dimaite arrived at UF after two years at The Rock School in Gainesville. If all went well, the Gators hoped Dimaite could develop into one of the team's centerpieces by the time her career ended.
She was redshirted as a freshman as planned, but then back-to-back major surgeries on her left knee as the season approached wiped out her redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons.
Dimaite finally made it back a year ago and averaged a measly 4.8 minutes in 24 games.
"My knee was hurting so bad,'' she said. "You can't even compare it. It's so much better. I guess as the years go by it's get better."
There's a lot of rust to shake off after missing three consecutive years. Dimaite can deal with the fact her college career hasn't turned out as she hoped.
As she discusses her injury-prone time at UF, Dimaite has a smile on her face. She says she is genuinely content at how everything has played out.
She recalled in high school when a teacher asked what her plans were if basketball didn't work out. Dimaite said she would take her education seriously and she would be fine.
Dimaite earned criminology and anthropology degrees in May and is currently working on her master's in recreation administration and supervision.
"I feel like that is a perfect example,'' she said. "I love the school, the coaches and atmosphere. Even though I was not playing, it never crossed my mind of leaving. I'm happy with where I am, with the team and the school."
Don't expect to see Dimaite log a lot of minutes most games, but don't be surprised if she has a smile on her face when she is on the court.
Better late than never.
