A season can change in an instant. Two people from the Stony Brook University women’s basketball team know this very well: senior Misha Horsey (Wyncote, Pa.) and sophomore Samantha Landers (Springfield, Va.).
Horsey went down with a season-ending injury in November, meaning that Landers had to play as the starting point guard sooner than expected.
However, she has stepped up to the challenge and helped to pilot her team in the midst of a turbulent season.
Landers says that a great deal of what she has put into practice this year was in fact learned under the tutelage of Horsey.
“She was the one who prepared me the most for the position I ended up in,” Landers said. “I knew I had to step up after we found out about her injury. We still had games to win and goals to reach.”
Landers came in last year as a promising player. Interim coach Evelyn Thompson said after Saturday’s win against Binghamton that the staff knew that Landers was going to blossom into something special. The team, and Landers as a player, were not where they are now.
“There’s a huge difference between freshman and sophomore year,” Landers said. “Just that one more year of experience makes a difference. You are more familiar with your coaches, team and just the routine of the season in general.”
Throughout that year and for a large part of this one, former head coach Michele Cherry was a huge influence on Landers and her development.
“She gave me the opportunity to play Division I basketball here at Stony, and I’m so grateful for that,” Landers said. “I’m glad my hard work paid off, and she made my dreams come true.”
However, playing on a Division I program isn’t all dreams; some seasons, such as this one, are challenging and filled with setbacks.
“Definitely it’s been a hectic year, but I’ve learned so much just about life in general and those lessons will stick with me forever,” Landers said.
All lessons pertaining to basketball will now be put to the test. There is less than a week between now and the America East Tournament in Hartford. Stony Brook has a 3-13 record in conference play and will therefore play the University of Maine in their first game, the play-in game to get into the quarterfinals with the other seven teams.
The Seawolves defeated Maine twice this year, the last time at home on Feb. 12. Landers had 10 points and five assists in that game. That total is 1.1 points higher than her season average.
However, though the opponent may change from game to game, the goal does not.
“To win! We have set this goal since last postseason [approximately a year ago] and we haven’t lost sight of that. We know we are the underdog at this point, but that means that we have nothing to lose,” Landers said.
With the exception of Hartford, every team will be playing at a neutral site, so each game is independent of all of the others.
Beyond the tournament, Landers is happy with her choice of Stony Brook and looks forward to the future here.
“It was a perfect fit for me, and there wasn’t much I didn’t like about the school or program,” she said. “I have no regrets about choosing Stony Brook. It’s a great school, and I’m always excited for the future.”
