How did the 2008 season end for Binghamton women’s basketball? Four seniors left for graduation. Albany came back from nine points down to eliminate the Bearcats in the first round of the America East quarterfinals. Coaches reacted by picking the Bearcats to finish sixth in the conference in a preseason poll. So, did Binghamton fold in the tent? The answer: no. In fact, they got better.
One may wonder: How does Binghamton lose four rotation players, deal with a coaching change, and yet improve?
Enter Andrea Holmes.
To begin 2008-2009, Holmes split time at the point guard position. However, as she began to impose her will upon NCAA women’s basketball, her play became too strong to ignore. Holmes emphatically showed the nation that she is a play that must be keyed in on during games. In a win over Cornell on January 5, she exploded for 24 points. She followed that up with 32 points over Stony Brook on Jan. 18. At this point, she was not even done. Holmes erupted for 24 points against Albany on Feb. 7. All three of those games were Bearcat victories.
While Holmes can score in bunches, it was not what defined her season. Holmes does everything on the court for Binghamton; she will do whatever it takes to win. This attitude is what made her a great player as a rookie. Bearcat head coach Nicole Scholl has loved the way Andrea Holmes did what was asked of her as a freshman.
“Andrea’s got that ability to take over a game,” said Scholl. “But when her shot hasn’t been falling, she finds others. That’s the type of point guard we want. I think she does a great job of having a level head. She’s pretty steady with her results out there. She rarely has a bad game and does so many things to help the team. Teams have been trying to take her away and take the ball out of her hands. If she’s not filling it up, she finds others so that they can score. That’s what you want out of your point guard.”
In nearly every game the Bearcats played this season, Holmes has had a huge role in the outcome. Coach Scholl and her staff put the onus on Holmes to deliver, and more often than not she answered the call. Holmes played 34.7 minutes per game this past season, leading the team. With shooting guard Erica Carter, forwards Viive Rebane and Darryll Peterson, and center Laura Franceski receiving the most playing time on the team after her, Holmes was often the only pure point guard on the floor this season. She scores the ball well, demonstrated by her three games of at least 24 points. She led the team with 4.1 assists per game. She put up 1.6 steals per contest. She even rebounds well for her size, pulling 4.7 boards per game. With the job of scoring, facilitating, rebounding and being in charge of handling the ball every possession, Holmes had a lot on her plate. Despite that, she had a very productive season that saw her win the America East Rookie of the Year award.
“I think [Holmes] is a very tough player,” said Scholl. “It’s hard enough coming in as a freshmen, along with being a starter and a point guard, which puts you in a pressure position. But she has handled it beautifully.”
Amidst all her accomplishments this season, Holmes’ signature moment may have actually came on Feb. 21 in a home game against Maine. Holmes actually did not score a single point in the game. But she did everything else. Holmes facilitated others, in a game where seven different players scored at least six points, she had six assists in 39 minutes at point guard. Holmes was a monster on the defensive end as well, grabbing five boards and getting six steals.
“In the Maine game it [scoring] just wasn’t coming for me, so I did other things,” Holmes said. “I had about six steals. I passed to open teammates. I do whatever I can to contribute.” Many aspects of the game are important to winning. Rebounds. Assists. It all matters.”
Holmes’ attitude on the court has been a huge positive for the Bearcats this season. A dominant player since high school, where she averaged 24 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals per contest as a senior. Even with her gaudy numbers, Binghamton’s coaching staff sought to recruit Holmes from day one because of her strong all-around skills and ability to cope with the myriad responsibilities playing point guard demands. Assistant coach Bernitha Johnson went to Memphis last year to recruit Holmes and wanted to bring her to Binghamton from the moment she saw her.
“It was just her demeanor on the court,” Johnson said about why she wanted Holmes to come to Binghamton. “The way she handles things, her control, is great. I thought she was very mature for her age when I saw her, and that’s something you see in great players.”