When asked, senior basketball co-captain Jayme Busnengo described her duty on the team rather simply: "To rebound." However unglamorous her role, Busnengo understands it and fulfills it to the best of her ability.
"When I go in the game, I don't focus on scoring and the flashy things," Busnengo said. "I work on boxing out. Sometimes those little things go unnoticed, but they really make a difference."
Busnengo is third on the team in rebounding, averaging 5.2 a contest. Her 5'11'' height makes her a tall person to rebound over. "It makes me feel better when my shoots don't go in because Jayme tells me she is there for the rebound," junior center Emily Goodman said.
It's fair to say her senior season is going well, but that doesn't mean it's been smooth sailing for Busnengo. One physical injury suffered years ago altered the course of her basketball career. Busnengo's future drastically changed when she tore her ACL one week before college scouts came to see her play at Bourne High School in Buzzards Bay, MA.
Since all of her scouts, including some from Div. I programs, never saw her play, Busnengo was left with no basketball options for college. With her athletic future up in the air, Busnengo had her academic abilities to fall back on, something that is no slouch in its own right. She was accepted to Tufts without any commitment to play basketball. But upon arriving in Medford, she figured she'd at least try out.
"I showed up to the first meeting heartbroken," Busnengo said. She had aspirations of playing for the Jumbos as a freshman, but two knee surgeries would not allow it. Being injured freshman year not only kept her away from basketball, but also took away some confidence in her game and knee.
The following year, Busnengo decided to try out for the basketball team with a somewhat rehabilitated knee. The first lay-up she took in tryouts was the first running lay-up she had attempted since her knee injury. It wasn't easy for the sophomore to forget she had two knee surgeries because of her hesitation and a large brace she was forced to wear. "It was really hard because I had no confidence in my leg and I had to wear a huge brace," Busnengo said.
Even with these mental blocks, Busnengo managed to play in all 23 of the team's games. Though not a prime contributor - she scored 2.6 points a game to go along with 1.8 rebounds - Busnengo shot an impressive 55.8 percent from the field. She also met three of her best friends on the basketball team.
Although Busnengo was a sophomore, she had freshman jitters. "Sophomore year I was just trying not to mess up; I wasn't really concerned with doing a specific thing," Busnengo said.
Because of her newness to the team, she quickly became close with the team's freshmen. That class included Goodman, junior Erin Harrington, and junior co-captain Hillary Dunn.
"We have a lot of fun together; I came in with Em, Hill, and Erin," Busnengo said. "We were all rookies together."
Since Busnengo had freshman fears, but also college experience, she became a person the younger rookies could look up to. "We really didn't know if she was a freshman or sophomore," Dunn said. "She was a link between the upperclassmen and freshman. She helped all of us because she had experience with the other stuff," Dunn continue.
With a solid group of friends and a newfound confidence in her knee, Busnengo broke out in her junior season. "I came in really in shape, no brace, and my confidence up," Busnengo said. Coach Janice Savitz rewarded Busnengo with a starting job at small forward for the first four games, while senior Katie Kehrberger was playing soccer.
Busnengo only started those four games all season and admitted her early season play was not that great. As the season progressed she got more confidence in her game and ended up ostensibly becoming the team's sixth man. Busnengo ended up fourth on the team in scoring with 5.7 points a game, shooting 47 percent from the field. She also averaged 5.1 rebounds per game. "Junior year I felt like I had a little more input even though it was only my second year," Busnengo said. "I wasn't going to only screw up, I could make a difference."
At the end of the season, Busnengo was named the team's most-improved player and voted co-captain along with Dunn. "It's really great to have that backing because I know my teammates voted me," Busnengo said. "The fact that they felt I deserved (the award and co-captainship) means a lot."
This year, Busnengo has started all 21 of the team's games and is averaging a career high 7.7 points a game. "I have to play as hard as I can and leave everything on the floor," she said. "After this I will never be on a varsity team again."
Teammates say it's a similar privilege to play with Busnengo. "She's a blast to have as a teammate; she is very funny," Goodman said. "When it's a tough practice she is the type of person to crack jokes and make everybody smile."
