Inspiration From A Teammate

December 2

For the third time in our four games, we lost by four or less points, this time by a score of 51-47 at Keystone College in Scranton, Pennsylvania. There were many positives; we stayed even with them on the boards and only turned the ball over 14 times, yet we again had trouble getting the ball in the net, shooting just 28 percent on the evening, 20 percent from behind the arc.

Although frustrated with another close loss that could have been a win, the play of one of my teammates kept my spirits up after the game. Sarah Warner is a fellow sophomore on the team who joined our program just this year. Incredibly athletic, Sarah (“Swarner”, as we call her”) is a star on Vassar’s women’s lacrosse team, starting every game her freshman year and scoring the second-most goals on the team. I’ve always admired Swarner for coming into an environment where she is no longer the best player and isn’t playing a lot, but still comes everyday with a great attitude and ready to work hard.

Tonight, with starting small forward Brianna Brazell out with a sprained ankle and various players in foul trouble early, Swarner was one of a few who really stepped up to keep us in the game. Matched up against someone about five inches taller than her, she never gave up; her opponent had to work for every single shot or rebound she got. Swarner’s five points tonight were a career high, but her intensity and toughness were what really stood out.

The reason I focus on Swarner’s play tonight isn’t because the rest of the team didn’t play well. It’s because she did what most wouldn’t expect of her. She came into the game, with probably less than 10 minutes of college basketball under her belt, confident and willing to do whatever it took. She didn’t take one single second of the time she had on the court for granted, and I think that’s something my teammates and I can learn from.

Losing close games is tough. When you lose three games by a combined ten points, you often think, what exactly are we doing so wrong? But as a team, we have learned from these games and are ready to come out on the other end on Saturday when we host John Jay College. Personally, I think I’ll be focusing on the energy and effort that Swarner brought to the game tonight and no matter what, I’ll be sure not to take any of the time that I’m on the court for granted.