The Geneseo women’s basketball team may have lost in the SUNYAC championship game on Saturday March 1, but that doesn’t mean that the season was lost. The Knights made it all the way to the final game of the tournament, something that, while always a goal of everyone on the team, was not unexpected.
“One of our former players once said, ‘It’s not a goal to make a run in the playoffs anymore; it’s an expectation.’ I find that very rewarding as a coach to hear a player talk about the team that way,” head coach Scott Hemer said of the weekend. “I simply want the group we’re working with to reach their full potential, and hopefully that puts us in a position to make a run in our conference tournament or the NCAA tournament.”
In the final, the Knights faced off against SUNY Plattsburgh. In a close-fought game, the Knights lost 57-52.
“We held the highest-scoring team in our conference to 57 points; I feel pretty good about our performance on Saturday,” Hemer said. “Even in general, throughout the year, that group found ways to step up and win.”
The Knights won eight games in a row heading into the final, their most recent loss being to the Cardinals on Feb. 8 at home. They had won 11 of their last 12 games and it appeared as though they would put up a tough match against anyone that they came across – which is exactly what they did.
Despite the loss, the team’s play in the championship game is very telling of what’s to come next season. The season looks promising for the Knights, who have no seniors leaving, meaning they will start with a strong foundation. This is something they will only be able to build on with their experiences from this season.
“We’re all very excited to have a group of young, talented, high-character players. Everyone’s excited about what’s ahead,” Hemer said. “Ultimately, each one of them will make choices about what they want their contribution to be, but we as a coaching staff want them to reach their full potential.”
“I think this group grew as much as any other that I’ve had in any of the seven years I’ve been at Geneseo,” he added. “I’m confident that they’ll be able to carry over the lessons that they learned to influence our record next season.”