Column: A hug, an offer and a new beginning for Kira Chivers. Former Marist standout finds the ‘perfect’ home at Loyola.

When former Marist girls basketball standout Kira Chivers made her first visit to Loyola on June 13, she was a bit overwhelmed.

Actually, a lot overwhelmed.

It started with the welcome from coach Allison Guth.

“The minute I stepped on the court to watch a practice, coach Guth ran up to me and gave me a big hug,” Chivers said. “And then just watching the practice, I could see the culture they were building. Everyone was ready to put their heads down and work.

“Knowing also the great education I would get here, it was just so perfect. The moment I walked in, I knew this place was home.”

Before Chivers and her family left the gym, Guth made an offer.

Kira didn’t hesitate.

“After we left, I bought gear for my grandparents and my family,” Chivers said. “Then we drove over to my grandparents’ house. I told them that we’d have a surprise for them.

“When we arrived, I handed them shirts we bought for them. They looked at them and said, ‘Loyola?’ And they were going crazy. They were so excited and happy for me.”

End of a cool story? Not by a long shot.

There is a lot to say about what Chivers has done with this “perfect” opportunity.

As a freshman, the 5-foot-3 guard is already making a significant difference. Through 17 games, she has 41 assists, only one behind senior guard Sam Galanopoulos. She’s third on the team with 17 steals.

The most interesting stat to me? Chivers has played the fourth-most minutes despite the fact she hasn’t started a game.

Super sub?

“Ha-ha, I guess so,” Chivers said. “You know, when I get in, I’m just trying to do what they need me to do in that moment.

“I’m just trying to learn and grow with the system. We have some great senior leaders who are bringing me along really well.”

To say the least, coming off the bench is a new role for Chivers.

During her four-year varsity career at Marist, she rarely left the floor. She was primarily an excellent ballhandler who could turn it up on the other side of the court as a defender.

But Chivers also had a nice touch from beyond the arc, and while she didn’t put up gobs of points, she was a reliable scorer. As a senior, she averaged 9.6 points.

Former Marist teammate Elise Ward scored her 1,000th career point Wednesday night against Marian Catholic. When they stopped the game for an ovation, Ward waved up toward the crowd behind the Marist bench.

One of those watching was Chivers. Ward remembers.

“Kira was always one of the quickest, best defenders I’ve played with,” Ward said. “She just knows the game really well.

“I see her on TV. I see clips of her on Twitter. I mean, it’s definitely awesome. I’m so proud of her.”

One more story about Chivers’ toughness bears repeating.

Less than 24 hours before opening night to her sophomore season at Marist, Chivers collided with a teammate at practice and went sprawling to the ground. She hit her chin on the court and it was bleeding.

Chivers not only needed several stitches but had to go to the dentist the following morning to have a cracked molar repaired. Somehow, she made it back to school to finish part of the day and be eligible to play that night.

The photo of her dribbling the ball downcourt with a huge bandage on her chin is a classic.

Believe me, at 5-3, she’s a dynamo. Former Marist coach Mary Pat Connolly put it best: “For her size, oh my God, she could play anywhere. Just one of those great kids who deserves everything she gets.”

Mary Pat, you were so right. And good for Kira that it’s happening.