Time weighed on Colleen Klopp.

Half her freshman year with the Quinnipiac College women's basketball team was lost to a knee injury suffered the year before while at Southington High.

She played her sophomore year, but the knee was still achy. And it was her first full season of college ball. That took some getting used to.

So this year, when Klopp's junior campaign rolled aroung, she had to be ready. Time was running out.

"You only have so many years to play this game," said Klopp. "Treat every game like it's your last."

It was that attitude, in combination with an accurate outside shooting stroke, that carried the junior guard to a second team All-Northeast Conference selection.

Klopp had the requisite numbers. Her 16.1 scoring average, which led Quinnipiac, was fifth best in the conference.

Starting in all 27 games, Klopp led the Braves in scoring on 18 occasions. She scored in double figures 22 times, went over 20 points nine times. A career-high 28 points in a season-opening tournament game in San Diego set the tone.

"Confidence is No. 1. It's really the first time I got to play in college coming off a good year," said Klopp. "Sophomore year, I was still finding myself. This year I just got right into it."

The Southington native had to deliver. Once freshman guard Megan Rooney of Guilford was lost to injury, Clopp was Quinnipiac's main outside threat. She drained almost 42 percent of her trey attempts, going 38 for 91. With 72 career 3-pointers, Klopp is Quinnipiac's all-time leader in that department.

For all Klopp's sharp-shooting, however, coach Tricia Sacca-Fabri's Braves didn't have much to show in the win column. They went 9-18, a repeat of their 1998-99 performance. They were 6-12 in the Northeast Conference.

"I thought we'd win a lot more games than we did," said Klopp. "You don't always know why you lose games. Like coach says, when you lose a game you don't do everything wrong and when you win you don't do everything right."

Klopp is optimistic about Quinnipiac's big incoming freshman class. This is literally true: Three of next year's four recruits are 6-footers, including Sara Esidore of Portland. Also bound for Hamden are centers Tara McCraig of Red Bank Catholic (N.J.), Ashlee Kelly of Mt. Lebanon (Pa.) and 5-11 guard/forward Katie Keilty, an All-Long Island player at Our Lady of Mercy Academy.

Among the returning players is one of Klopp's former teammates from Southington, Tiffany Steele. The junior forward played all but one game this season, starting in 12. She averaged just under four rebounds and five points a game.

"I'm really interested to see what the mix next year is going to be," said Klopp.

In the meantime, offseason training awaits. Klopp says she'll be working on her ballhandling. After a season spent feasting on spot-up shooting, Klopp wants to shoot more off the dribble. Offseason workouts start Monday, when school resumes after spring break. Klopp stayed home for the vacation.

"I honestly don't know how people can afford it," she said. "I don't work because basketball is my job."

At this time next year, her college playing days behind her, Klopp figures she'll finally go away for spring break. Why not? She can make up for lost time.