The CU-Bloomsburg Women’s Basketball team battled through the PSAC tournament and was just 11 points away from causing one of the biggest upsets in Division II. Up against the top seed, Gannon University, for the quarter finals, the Golden Knights and the Huskies were neck-and-neck up until late in the fourth quarter.
It comes to no surprise that despite the performance against a team that fell just short four points in the PSAC Championship, Head Coach Alison Tagliaferri thought her team could have done more. “There were a lot of ups and downs,” Tagliaferri said. “Having the resilience to overcome some of the stuff, the individual slumps, a lot of things behind the scenes, a losing streak, lost some games we probably shouldn’t have lost, having the resilience to kind of bounce back despite all of that was good. But part of me thinks we still underachieved.”
One of the biggest struggles of the season was offensive consistency. There would be games where the team was able to drop 70 plus points, but others where they couldn’t crack 50. Coach Tagliaferri chalked a lot of it up to mental battles but credited their defense in those low scoring games. “Defense is one of the things we like to be known for apart from some games. We could hang out hat on that because I think that was a reason that even when we were offensively struggling, we were still in a lot of games that were low scoring because of the defense.”
When asked about the two graduating seniors, Maddie LaFrance and Ava Stevenson, Coach Tagliaferri emphasized their resilience and commitment to the program. “They have both gone through a lot on and off the court and still were dedicated to the program and to their teammates,” she said. “They represented the program in a positive way on and off the court, and you can’t speak highly enough of them in that regard.”
Those who attended the games regularly recognized the energy and positivity LaFrance brought. She talked about the impact she hopes to leave on the players she leaves behind, as she approaches graduation. “The biggest thing I want them to understand by my impact is when you truly love basketball, you don’t outgrow the grind; you lean into it.”
Stevenson also expressed gratitude for her final season and the bond within the team. “We supported each other through everything. My extra year of eligibility, by the grace of God, gave me the opportunity to have one more year playing the sport I love, and because of that, I really tried to soak in every moment, especially the little ones in the locker room with this group of people.”
A season defined by grit, growth and belief; this group never backed down. CU-Bloomsburg continues to prove they can compete with the top teams in the PSAC. As the program moves forward, the expectation is no longer just to compete- but to finish.