Minor Setbacks, Major Comebacks
The cold gray stands are packed for the biggest game of the season. Anxious fans stand shoulder to shoulder, clasping their sweaty, buttery hands together, hoping their favorite basketball team will win it all. Stetson’s offense definitely feels the pressure after Florida Gulf Coast takes on a one-point lead with 34.6 seconds left. The arena, overwhelmed with emotions and hearts beginning to race, comes to a hush as fans watch the rest of the intense game unravel. The squeaking of the rubber soles and the ball pounding against the shiny wooden floor is the only noise. With 22.6 seconds to go, one of Stetson’s players gets fouled and makes a free throw to tie the game and send it into overtime.
This championship match-up is a familiar one to both Stetson and FGCU women’s basketball teams. This is the fourth time in the past six years that the Hatters and Eagles face off for the regular season Atlantic Sun Conference title game.
With 1:14 left in overtime, Stetson fans follow the ball into the net as Stetson sends a three-point shot across the court to defeat FGCU with a 67–64 victory. The fans roar with excitement and the Stetson women’s basketball team jump and embrace each other. For the first time in school history, the Hatters are ASUN regular season champions.
Stetson Women’s Basketball 2016–2017 season showcases a phenomenal year of wins, records, and overall great basketball. They finish the season with 26 victories, the second highest single-season total in school history, and successfully pulled off a 15-game winning streak. Their defense is currently ranked 25th in the nation, and they rank fourth overall in the NCAA with a free throw percentage of .790. Stetson’s top performers, Brianti Saunders, Sarah Sagerer, and Coach Lynn Bria were awarded the league’s Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year, respectfully.
Their outstanding season comes with hard work and practice. These talented young women work diligently day and night to prepare for each game and the challenges unique to them. Coach Lynn Bria pushes the girls and challenges their capacity to go above and beyond their talents and skills. For these girls, it’s not only about dribbling, passing, and shooting, but also learning how to become one and communicate with each other on the court. These women are more than just the players we see at play; they are dedicated individuals who are willing to take on Coach Bria’s challenge, which means being the best player possible on and off the court. Players such as Brianti Saunders, Stetson’s all-time leading scorer, and DeAsia Beal, a key player in accomplishing the 15-game streak, definitely feel that pressure throughout the entire season. Here are their stories:
DeAsia Dominates
DeAsia Beal, 22, is a senior majoring in Communications and Media. Beal has played as guard for four years at Stetson, but started playing basketball when she was five years old. “It runs in my family,” Beal says, “Me and my dad always played so he put me in AAU team and that’s how I first started playing.” Her love for basketball only grows as she goes on to play Division 1 basketball for Stetson University. “Playing college basketball was pretty much what I expected,” Beal says, “when I first got here it was a little more tough than I expected but once I got into the flow, it was definitely what everyone said it was going to be.” Beal had to learn how to manage her training, school, and social life in order to be successful throughout her basketball career. This season isn’t any different; in fact, there is a lot more pressure on the line. “We changed our routine this year. Coach Bria took us back to the basics of my freshmen year. She stuck to what she knew and I think that was a huge part of our success,” Beal said. Since the beginning of the season, Beal and the girls set out with goals for themselves and are determined to achieve them. Additional to their coach’s advice, each of the girls make a personal contribution to the success of the team.
“We had to learn to trust each other,” Beal says, “we had to evaluate ourselves and accept the roles we were given so we could play as a team and create a bond we could carry on the court. You need five people to play, not just one.”
Beal had to have a strong evaluation of herself when she got injured. “I was really depressed and down, thinking I was never going to play again,” Beal states. Her injury definitely became a key motivation for Beal to push herself and do what she had to do to get back in the game. The regular season championship game iss very exciting for Beal. “We just wanted to keep the streak going and get the №1 seed and have home court advantage for the tournament,” Beal humbly explains. However, she cannot deny how good it feels to win the championship, “It is one the best feelings that I’ve had since I’ve been here.” Beal will be graduating in May and will no longer be playing basketball, but she does have great advice for those who want to play college basketball, “You have to become an adult early and understand your coaches are not going to treat you like little kids. You have to come prepared to make sacrifices and grind hard.”
Saunders Shoots and Scores
Brianti Saunders, 22, is a senior majoring in Sports Business. Just like her teammate DeAsia Beal, she started playing at five years old. “I have an athletic family,” Saunders says, “my mom and dad both played basketball when they were young and became basketball coaches at the same school.” Saunders follows her parents’ footsteps and plays college ball. Her career at Stetson University has been nothing less than exemplary.
Saunders is Stetson’s all-time leading scorer with 1,975 points, all-time leader in field goals and free throws made, ASUN Player of the Year, and recently NCAA Division 1 Free Throw Champion.
“I’m never satisfied,” says Saunders, “I don’t play to break records. I just give my coach and my teammates 100 percent and the records come with that.” Saunders is very grateful for her accomplishments, but she knows that they’re not easy to do. She discloses that the entire team had to overcome several injuries in this season than in any other season. During the season, Saunders personally suffered from a knee and ankle injury. “I sprained both my ankles and I had a tear in my meniscus, but nothing was going to sit me out,” Saunders explains. In fact, Saunders never missed a game, playing in all 131 games, and starting in 130 of them. When asked how she managed to physically stay healthy to never miss a game, she says sleep. “Sleep is the number one thing. Eating decently and staying in shape and making sure you are working out on your days off,” Saunders says. Saunders and the teammates had to do this every day, balancing school, social life, and basketball. “When you want to be great, you have to make sacrifices,” Saunders asserts. Those sacrifices are definitely worth it when they beat FGCU during the championship game, a team they have never beaten before.
“I wanted to cry. It was a great feeling. I was happier for Coach Bria. I was playing for her. I know it wasn’t easy losing to FGCU year after year.”
Saunders strongly believes that this season the biggest difference in their game strategy was the bonding between the teammates. “In basketball, you have to be together, but when you bond outside of the court and still want to be around each other, you have the opportunity to learn about each other and carry it on the court,” Saunders says. Her only regret this season, “I wish I would have cherished the good moments more.”
Saunders has plans to play overseas and possibly play for the WNBA. “My motivation is Kobe Bryant. He is an assassin on the court and that’s what I got to be,” Saunders admits.
Buckets on Buckets
Beal and Saunders are just a few of the players that were pushed physically and emotionally in basketball. Regine Hill, 22, is the manager of the women’s basketball team and she firsthand sees how these girls work hard. “They are some of the most hardworking individuals I know and it was an honor being able to work for them,” Hill discloses. Hill, along with the rest of the team, know that the women’s basketball team does not attract many spectators, but she hopes that changes real soon. “We definitely sit down and talk about this issue and we cannot figure out why, but hopefully this season and the streak they accomplish will attract more people,” Hill theorizes. Hill, Beal, and Saunders are graduating seniors, but the women’s basketball team will continue to prosper with the new season beginning this fall.
