It will be the end of an era Saturday, as the women's basketball team's seniors — undoubtedly the most successful class in program history — take the court at Cousens Gymnasium for their final home NESCAC game.
"I don't think it has really hit me yet," senior tri−captain Lindsay Weiner said. "I'm excited for senior day, for the chance to celebrate the time that I've had here, the time that the other seniors have had here and all the accomplishments that we've had. But at the same time it is the end of an era. Basketball has been part of my life for more years than I can count and nearing the end of my career is a bit overwhelming."
Fellow senior co−captain Colleen Hart, along with classmates Weiner, Vanessa Miller and Sarah Nolet have been part of the best four years of women's basketball at Tufts, which includes a NESCAC final, three NCAA tournament appearances and an Elite Eight run during the 2007−08 season.
Hart will likely go down as the greatest player in the history of the program after shattering the career points record earlier this year. She also holds the record for career 3−pointers and is within 25 of the record for career assists. She has been named NESCAC Player of the Week four times and has earned first−team All−Conference honors in each of the past two seasons. In many ways, she has been the lifeblood of this team for the duration of her career.
If Hart is the life, then Miller is the source of energy. Standing at only 5 feet 2 inches, Miller is a defensive spark plug. Over the past two years, she has averaged more than three steals per game, while forcing countless more turnovers that never find their way onto the stat sheet. Her efforts earned her NESCAC Defense Player of the Year honors last season, and a recent offensive outbreak while Hart was sidelined with an injury earned Miller her first ever NESCAC Player of the Week award.
The two have shared the backcourt for two years now, and their experience of playing together is undeniable.
"Playing with [Miller], we've had a lot of minutes together, and it's been great learning from each other," Hart said. "We are totally different players, with very different strengths, and I think at this point we play off of each other so well that we know exactly where the other is going to be, and it's been very fun playing with her."
Weiner shares the kind of intensity exhibited by Miller game after game, constantly finding herself in the middle of tussles for the ball. While only averaging 10 minutes a game in her freshman season, she still managed to create 16 steals. Last year she was coach Carla Berube's go−to player off the bench, helping the team get oh−so−close to the national Sweet 16. She has also been a valuable asset in crunch time, with a career free−throw percentage of 89 percent.
Finally, the 6−foot Nolet — who joined the team as a sophomore — has been a valuable asset on a team that is undeniably undersized. A three−sport athlete and soccer captain, she has stayed committed to the team and has played a key role guarding the tall post players of the NESCAC.
"Sarah [Nolet] decided she missed basketball, and I'm glad she made the decision to come back and play because she's been a big part of our success coming in, lacking in size as we are," Hart said.
Saturday's game will be bittersweet for the seniors, as a turbulent season has left them without a home NESCAC tournament game for the first time since the 2005−06 season and in serious danger of missing the NCAA tournament. And if the Jumbos want to continue to entertain any hope of earning an at−large bid to the tournament, a win over Bates — which currently sits at No. 7 in the NCAA regional rankings and fourth in the NESCAC — is vital.
The Bobcats are playing their best basketball of the season and recently ran off four straight NESCAC wins before falling to Amherst on Sunday. The team has no star player, instead relying on the squad as a whole to produce points. Five Bates players average over eight points a game, while another four average more than five per game.
The key for the Jumbos will be stopping senior post players Jessie Igoe and Christine McCall, both of whom top six feet and average 10.9 and 9.3 points, respectively. The Jumbos have struggled with forwards all season, most recently being torched by Amherst senior Jaci Daigneault for 18 points.
"We need to just play together," Hart said. "We need to play our defense, shut them down, and our offense will come. As long as our defense is consistent, I think our shots will fall."
Hart sat out yesterday's matchup with Worcester State but will be good to go Saturday against the Bobcats. If the team can pull it together, they just may be able to close out this era with a victory.
But the seniors are in no rush to let the ride end.
"It's flown by," Weiner added. "Freshman, sophomore and junior year we prepared for senior day, but it never occurred to me that one day it would be my turn. We are so busy with school and basketball that the time just flies by. Before you blink, it is almost gone."
