The Suffolk University women’s basketball team is off to a hot start so far, tallying up a record of 8-1 as the fall semester comes to a close. This is thanks to the 12 women roster, who have been giving it their all since their first game in early November. Some of these standout players include junior captains Olivia Verdile and Ava Thurman, as well as point guard Jordan Moreau.
Moreau, a junior business management and real estate major hailing from North Kingstown, Rhode Island, has been a standout player on the roster. This season, she has racked up double-digit points in every game so far, averaging 14.1 points per game. One of the five starters, Moreau has helped lead the team to victory almost every time she steps onto the court.
This season, there are no seniors on the team, a small challenge Moreau and her fellow juniors have had to adjust and adapt to. While this may seem daunting, Moreau says it has given her young team a chance to work together and do things their way.
“Without having senior year leadership, it has allowed us to set the tone and expectations for what we want for ourselves and the team,” said Moreau.
Moreau has been with the program since her freshman year, so she is used to the team dynamics, coaching staff and everything in between. However, she spoke about growing with the team, as most of the juniors started with her in 2023, as well as how she has adapted to her new role as a leader since then.
“I’ve grown through the season by having to change my role on the team from my freshman year to my junior year,” said Moreau. “As a point guard, I feel like the voice on the floor and that has made my role feel a lot more rewarding.”
While having a team with no seniors is no sweat for Moreau and the rest of the juniors, it is still unusual for most collegiate programs. It has given the junior captains and the rest of their squad an opportunity to step up and become the leader, voice or mentor an underclassman may be looking for. Moreau spoke to this, saying that while this is not a “typical” season roster-wise, everyone in the program has offered support and guidance from the beginning.
“This year has been different from prior years, the respect that our coach and captains have given the whole team has created an environment where everyone on the team feels valued,” said Moreau.
While the Rams have a confident record so far, the season is nowhere close to over. Due to the holiday break, there are only four games this month, giving the team a chance to rest and regroup, but also practice and plan for the bulk of the season that lies ahead. Aside from their one and only loss to Lasell University, Moreau discussed what this impressive record means to the team now and in the future.
“The winning record that we have created has made practice more competitive, and overall pushes us to work hard and perform at our best at this level of basketball,” said Moreau.
Other than performing well, the girls are also focused on staying close as a group, as teammates who help each other out, but also as friends aside from basketball. Since it is a younger team, Moreau talked about the team dynamics this season and how that affects their play during games as well.
“The environment feels like a real team this year, on and off the court, we rely on each other and genuinely care about everyone,” said Moreau.
After the holiday break, the Rams will face off against Clark University on the road on Dec. 30 at 1:00 p.m.
