MASON NEALE
Special to the Leader
Women’s college basketball is sweeping the nation.
We all have Caitlin Clark fever, and we may have our own Iowa Hawkeyes brewing here in Fredonia.
The Fredonia women’s basketball team is having their best season since 2016-17, and they aren’t backing down anytime soon.
The 2016-17 Blue Devils went 17-9, falling to Cortland in the first round of the SUNYAC playoffs.
“With essentially the same team returning from last year, we have had chemistry building for almost two years at this point,” says senior captain Renee Park. “We all see our potential and work together better than we ever have and that has led to success on the court.”
The team this season is led by freshman Grace Alexander, who is averaging 13.8 points per game, as well as 2.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game.
Junior Allie Wandell is also averaging 10.8 points, 1.0 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game.
The Blue Devils are currently top five in the conference in points per game, 3-pointers made per game and assists per game.
They are top four in free throw percentage, and top three in steals per game, and 3-point shots per game.
Fredonia seems to be embracing the “shooters gonna shoot” mentality.
In their last game, sophomore guard Sarah Seaman went five-for-five from the 3-point line to help lead the Blue Devils to a 61-56 win over Geneseo, the third-place team in the conference.
Geneseo had won nine straight games entering the game.
“It felt good to shoot the ball well because I struggled to shoot the week prior, and being able to contribute in a huge game against a top team in the league boosts our confidence a lot going forward,” Seaman said.
“We are very close, and are very hard working, we keep each other accountable and want to keep getting better, we know how it feels to lose,” Park said. “We bonded over that and it fueled us to win.”
There seems to be a new culture here in Fredonia. The women’s team wanted a strong culture and they are doing their part, leaving it up to fans and students to do theirs.
“With fans it’s more exciting for us players, we love the outside influence the fans bring to games, it keeps us going and brings more energy to games,” said Park, asking the fans to come cheer them on.
The team has three more home games: Feb. 6 against Oneonta, Feb. 9 against Potsdam and Feb. 10 against Plattsburgh, not including conference playoffs if the Blue Devils make it.
The women’s basketball team is currently one spot out of the playoffs, just behind Brockport.
So I am calling out all of you basketball fans. These last few games we need to pack the barn, we as fans need to step up, show our loyalty and our culture and make Fredonia a winning atmosphere. Do not just show up for the men’s games, come to the Women’s set the tone to help create this winning season, this team deserves the hype they are getting. We are going to change the way sports are viewed in Fredonia and it is starting with this Women’s team.
Let’s be louder than “Rock Chalk, Jay Hawk’, let’s be more loyal than the Cameron Crazies down in Duke,
Let’s be more intimidating than the Mackey. Let’s be Fredonia Blue Devils!