And like that, they did something special.
The ladies of the Mercy’s women’s basketball team will forever be remembered as the point in history where the program became a force again.
The team made history with its first NCAA tournament berth since 1985, making it the 8th seed in the East region.With an overall 20-10 record, the women’s team has been showing out in every game that has been happening. In every game they have been playing, they have acquired grit and determination, and the will to win.
Coach Scott Lagas of the women’s basketball team also won “coach of the year” for his involvement, has highlighted his excitement about the team making the NCAA tournament as an 8th seed.
Lagas said, “It feels great. I have an amazing staff and an excellent group of players. I owe most of it to their work and commitment to executing our vision. It is nice to be recognized for the work it takes to be successful at this level.”
He added, “I think concentrating on the everyday process has been the key to our success. Our girls played our hearts out. We work hard every day, always staying high and high. We were the no. 1 defensive team in the conference and top 25 in the country.”
The ladies trust each other and always have each other’s back, he adds.
The team’s performances have been known and proved by allowing them to play in the ECC championship tournament. They are claiming their spot as the second seed. Mercy graduate and point guard from Wappingers Falls, New York, Katie Wall, had made her presence known throughout the ECC championship game. They are scoring 15 points against St. Thomas Aquinas, returning from a 19-point deficit in the first half. Later, coming back and secured the victory. They are defeating the third-seed team 59-48 in an impressive win. Even though the team suffered defeat against Daemen in the ECC championship game, it does not change how special this season has been for the team.
Yet the focus had bumped right in front of them, the NCAA tournament.
Wall speaks about the overall goals for the team throughout the season and their views on heading into the tournament.
“The team has guided each other to make it to the ECC tournament and be ranked in the NCAA with the everyday work each one brought.”
She added, “We competed in practice daily, which carried over into games and having a why not our mentality. The shift this year was the belief everyone had. It was not just Mercy. We had a target on our backs, that each team wanted to win against us more than ever. We believed we were better than the teams, which carried into how we played. We belonged out there.”
March 15 was the day Mercy had played against the number one seed, Bently, in the regional quarterfinals in the east region. Katie scored 4 points with 4 rebounds, and Mercy power-forward Jaclyn Stanavich scored a career-high 18 points in the close game. Jaclyn gives her thoughts on the overall performance the team has displayed. She added “We definitely were upset at first but we had a lot of great accomplishments throughout the season that we were super proud of. Expectations for next season is to make it back to the ecc championship and win as well as make it back to the NCAA tournament.” States were high. History was being made. 1985 was the last time the team was in the tournament, and in a hardworking game, Mercy had a great match despite defeat against Bently, 50-63.
Looking back on the team’s season, Wall sees it as a blessing. A team that grew down the line to be family has gained the opportunity to make it far into their basketball careers by making it to the NCAA tournament. It’s a big step for an athlete—a big moment for the women’s team. Making history was the one thing they wanted to do, which is something they were able to do.
“The overall season we had was great. Few teams can say that they have made history, and we did that. Not only did we perform well, making it to the ECC championship and NCAA tournament, but this team also has a bond like no other, and we will cherish the memories we made together for the rest of our lives,” said Wall. “After making it to the ECC championship and the NCAA tournament, there won’t be any surprise that the team will be there again next season. We set the bar for our program.”
