This is the fourth of 12 articles highlighting the CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024 Inductees and today's fourth article features former Pack women's basketball player Tuileisu Anderson (2014-18)
For Tuileisu Anderson, it was "a lot" in playing for three different coaches during her four-season career at Colorado State University Pueblo, where she was a standout on teams that posted 97 victories with two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference titles and four NCAA Division II playoff appearances.
"It was a lot, honestly," said Anderson, who played her first season (2014-2015) for Kip Drown, the subsequent two campaigns (2015-2017) for Jim Turgeon, and her final season (2017) for Curtis Lloyd during your stay in Pueblo.
"After Coach Drown left my freshmen year, I had requested to be released to attend and play at Cal Poly Pomona; however, there was no transfer portal when I was in college, so the process was a lot more difficult," added Williams, who lives now in Vancouver, Wash., where she is a school counselor, a Black Student Union advisor and the girls varsity basketball head coach at Columbia River High School.
"Joe Folda (the ThunderWolves then-Athletics Director) denied my request and spoke to my family personally about staying and trusting him and who the program was going to bring in," Anderson said. "In speaking with my family and hearing about who they had hired (Coach Turgeon), my dad (Jabari Anderson) turned into Nancy Drew. He did all the digging on him and told me he feels I should stay at CSUP."
Once she decided to stay, Anderson said she "had the best two years of my college career. The hardest transition for me was when Coach Turgeon called to tell me he would take the opportunity to coach at the University of Denver. That was his dream, so how could I be mad at him? But if you knew our relationship, I had to tell him exactly how I felt. I was never mad at him for his decision; I could never be upset with his dream. I was just sad he was leaving, and he and his family had gone through the hardest time of my life with me. Transitioning into my third coach was tough; me and Loyd butted heads a tad, but I will always thank him for allowing me to slowly transition from having my boys and getting back into the swing of things."
During her four seasons at CSU Pueblo, Anderson played in 124 games, the second most for women at the school. She averaged 12.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, making 78 percent of her free throws to rank eighth all-time.
For her career, Anderson ranks second all-time in points scored (1,516). She holds the Pack record for three-point shots made in a season (82) and ranks second on the career list (204). Anderson joined Molly Rohrer to earn All-RMAC first-team honors for three straight seasons. Anderson was a six-time RMAC POW honoree.
When initially picking CSU Pueblo to attend, Anderson "felt welcomed and had a homelike feeling when I came on my visit. I connected with a handful of the girls, and once I got home, I felt God was calling me to go to CSU Pueblo."
Before enrolling at CSU Pueblo, she was named first-team all-league four seasons at Union High School in Vancouver, Wash., where she averaged 18.7 points per game and sported a 3.5 grade point average. Her parents (Joey and Jabari Anderson) played collegiately at Central Washington.
Playing during the best four-year stretch in school history for both women's and men's basketball at CSU Pueblo, where the Pack posted a 97-29 record, Anderson said, "It was a lot of hard work and dedication. All four seasons, the team was on the same page regarding wanting to win and doing what it takes to win. Practices were hard, and we had to push and challenge each other to make it easier when we got the games. And I feel that is what made us so successful. Even when we transitioned into my senior year, and Coach Turgeon left, the girls wanted to win, and we did whatever we could to make it happen."
Anderson was one of four freshmen on Drown's final CSU Pueblo team. In her second season, Anderson was the only player remaining of the four. When asked again about staying with the Pack, Anderson said, "After I decided that I would stay in Pueblo after coach Drown left, I meant that. I'm making Pueblo home for the next three seasons, and I will do all I can to make the program successful. I had a different level of intensity when I was playing in college. Coach Turgeon and the girls always matched my energy, and we made it happen, and if you weren't there to match the intensity with the group, well, you didn't last."
As for memorable games, Anderson said, "There are so many games that stick out to me, so this one is hard, but the West Texas A&M game my junior year (67-70 setback) when we hosted the first round of the NCAA tournament, and the game at  Black Hills State where Jaszy hit a shot at the buzzer to win the game and keep our winning game streak going."
The Black Hills State game saw Anderson's teammate Jaszymn Johnson hit a layup with three seconds left to secure an 88-87 win for CSU Pueblo to improve the Pack's record to 15-0. A Denver George Washington prep product, Johnson scored CSU Pueblo's final six points in overtime to finish with 15 points.
As for memorable teammates, Anderson said the "2016-1017 teammates were the best group of girls to play with. We challenged each other every practice and every moment we could, it was always intense! However, we were also close outside of basketball, making the connection stronger with this group. They accepted me for being the crazy player I was and for the intensity and competitiveness I brought. They accepted and loved me. Ana Gurau, Katie Cunningham, Chandler Babi (now Shanks), Jaszy Johnson, Chelsea Vallejos, and Maddie Beagley are still some of my best friends, and these are life-long friendships I will forever be thankful for them."
During her junior season, Anderson was pregnant with her twin boys (Quincie Makaijah and Melo Samuelu). The children's father was Brandon Henri, who performed two seasons (23 games) as a defensive back for the ThunderWolves after transferring to CSU Pueblo from Colorado State.
On February 23, 2018, an article in the Pueblo Chieftain by Joe Cervi said, "Anderson never thought about not returning for her senior season. Not once. "I was going to finish my career, most definitely," she said. "We had to figure out how to make it work, and we did."
With support from family, friends, and teammates, Anderson averaged 29.2 minutes and 12.5 points a game as a senior. The Pack finished with a 25-7 record and posted a 20-2 RMAC record in winning the post-season title by defeating Black Hills State. In the NCAAs, Anderson and mates dropped a 78-70 decision to MSU Denver in Lubbock, Texas.
Anderson, who graduated from CSU Pueblo with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with a minor in business Administration, started her high school coaching career by being named the state of Washington 2A Coach of the Year when her team placed seventh in the state.
As for family, Anderson said her "boys are in first grade this year, and it feels like yesterday when they were getting passed around in the stands, and I'm looking up in the middle of a game. I am an auntie now to Emry Eugene, and I am with the man of my dreams taking on life, it amazes me how life works and i am thankful for it all the different chapters and seasons of life. CSU Pueblo was a huge part of my life that I will forever cherish."
As a final comment, Anderson said, "Life will always keep going, but it is how you persevere through it and bounce back from adversity. Always keep your eyes and heart focused on God and utilize your people, family, close friends, and people who have been there and continue to be there for you. When you struggle, bring yourself back with gratitude for the little things. Help and bring love into this world. Be kind and love others to fulfill your heart. Enjoy all the moments."
As you can see, Anderson has dealt with a lot in her life, and her years in Pueblo saw her "persevere through it and bounce back from adversity."
