The one pressing need facing the NIU women’s basketball team at the close of the 1986-87 season was finding someone to fill Val Leitzen’s shoes at point guard.

Head Coach Jane Albright announced the search had ended Wednesday with the signing of Denise Dove, a 5-foot-7-inch, 125-pound guard from New Hope, Minn.

As the season wound down, speculation increased concerning the future of the NIU point. Albright pegged reserves Nikki Dallas and Kris Weis as possible replacements for Leitzen, who ended her senior season with 299 career assists, including 143 this past season.

Albright, who had also mentioned off-guard Lisa Foss as a candidate for the point and had played forward Gena Stubbs there at various junctures, said Dove will help both in setting up and contributing to the offense.

“Denise has the confidence and ability to quarterback a team. She’s a good ball handler and has the necessary skills to make the people around her look really good,” Albright said. “Denise’s passing is excellent, as is her shooting. She’ll definitely help in the area of three-pointers next season.”

In fact, Dove made a mark of sorts in the three-point category by becoming the first Minnesotan to officially make a three-pointer. The Gopher State will implement the shot in high school games next season.

In her prep career, Dove scored a total of 879 points for a career average of 12.8 points per game. She led her Plymouth Armstrong High team in scoring average this year with 15.8 ppg. She also had 323 career assists, 133 in her senior campaign.