With a record of 5-12 in Crossroads League play and 11-15 overall, the Goshen College women’s basketball team has secured a spot in the conference playoff tournament, with two games left in the regular season.
On the court, they are led by the ‘big three,’ seniors Ava Lickliter and Syanne Mohamed alongside fifth-year Zion Neat. The Maple Leafs sit in eighth place in the conference.Neat is currently in the Transition to Teaching program after receiving her bachelors in social work in April. She is a shooting guard and small forward. She says that the confidence has been high within the team this year and “nobody is a surefire ‘no’ for us.”
Highlights of the season for her include beating Spring Arbor at home and last Saturday’s victory over Taylor in which Neat surpassed 2,000 career points. She said, “For those nine seniors to win on senior day and for everyone to check into the game was huge for us.”
Mohamed, a senior nursing major from Zimbabwe, received the accolade of Crossroads League Defensive Player of the Week last week. She finds determination on the court by disliking the other teams, saying, “I don’t like any of the teams in the Crossroads League, so my goal is to make sure my opponent doesn’t achieve their usual numbers. If they average 20 points, I want to make sure they only score 10, or if they rebound 15 times, I want to make sure they only get two or three.”
But motivation also comes from supporting their own teammates. She explained, “If one of our teammates gets the results, we support them and we show love. By our players getting these awards and achievements, it gives the team a better image.”
Carrie Hiler, a freshman on the team, spoke about the benefits of being in a team with a lot of experienced players, saying, “I feel like with all the seniors, they have helped me grow more due to their years of experience. They push me every day in practice to get better. They always talk to me and if I ever have questions, they answer them.”
Head Coach Tyra Carver is confident that the experience that Ava Egolf and Hiler will gain from playing alongside 10 seniors will be beneficial for their sophomore seasons. She said, “Carrie works out with Zion, Ava has worked out with Zion. The seniors have helped even with the mindset to say ‘Hey, I’m a starter, this is the work that I’m doing.’”
Game day preparation is essential for the team when their schedule is packed with games. Their Monday practice session is colloquially known as “Mental Monday.”
During this session, they get their reps in without the stress of having to think about sets. On Tuesdays, they do a film review of their oppositions and learn of their tendencies, strengths and weaknesses.
On this day, they also play against a practice squad who attempts to imitate their opposition. The theme for practices in this part of the season has been “short and sweet” according to Neat. She said, “Tyra knows that we’re old, both physically and mentally, so she doesn’t try and teach us new things in the days before a game.”
Mohamed commented on Coach Carver’s attention to detail and consistency, saying “I believe we have practiced nearly 80 times. Tyra keeps track and every day she has a number of how many practices we have done.” Carver also likes to keep practice “short and sweet.” She says practice is about “getting all of the meat and throwing away all the fat” by being quick and efficient.
During practice, Coach Carver likes to keep her team present with everything that they do.
Carver said that people get too caught up in their past or future when there “are so many opportunities in the present moment that people tend to forget about because they’re thinking ‘I want to be a champion, I want to be All-Conference’ and they aren’t thinking about how the present is the way to get to your future.”
She also believes that everyone has a role to play within the program, saying, “Whether you are our scorer, our rebounder, you’re getting steals or you play defense, be intentional about why you are doing it and also be intentional about why you are in this program. You only get one opportunity to do things and be present in the opportunity you have right now.”
This helps the team stay focused and competitive both in practice and also on the court.
As previously mentioned, the team is set to make the Crossroads League playoffs.
When asked about goals for the tournament, Neat said, “We have a group that has played together and we want to go out on a high note.” The ambition amongst the younger members of the squad is evident, as Hiler’s goal for the tournament is “to win it.”
As things stand, the team will pay a visit to Indiana Wesleyan University, who are ranked second in the NAIA.
Despite this game being a big challenge, Mohamed remains confident that the team can beat the Wildcats. She said, “IWU are a tough team, but it is possible to beat them. It depends on how we show up and perform. If we show up and perform but we lose, we can’t be mad. We made them fight for it.”
Before games, Coach Carver likes to use the affirmation “I am Confident, I am Courageous, I am Capable, I am Dominant.” This gives the team a positive mindset for going into their games.
