Feb. 7, 2008
The success of the 2007-08 women's basketball team has been due to a combination of factors and junior Emily Garner is as big, and important, a piece of that puzzle as anyone on the squad. Garner may not get the attention her play deserves, but she also doesn't seek out individual accolades or recognition and that characteristic has helped Garner attain the level of success she has.
The Leopards are having what will likely be the best season to date under head coach Tammy Smith. With 12 wins through the first 22 games of the season, Smith has already won more games than any other season since she arrived on College Hill. In addition, Lafayette opened Patriot League play with a 4-1 record, the best mark since the 1993-94 season.
Garner, an English major, has provided a spark on the court this season and her contributions are a large part of the team's winning record. When asked about her performance, Garner quickly turns the conversation back around to the team.
"Our teammates are all so close and we all help each other so much that any individual success is a result of how hard the team works," she said.
Modesty is clearly a defining characteristic of Garner and this season she has a lot to be modest about. She has played in all but three games, mainly serving as a spark off the bench. The Fairfax, Va. native is averaging nearly 23 minutes of action per game and is scoring over eight points per contest, by far the most of any non-starter.
She is also inching her way towards reaching Lafayette's top-10 career blocks list. In fact, her block against archrival Lehigh with less than four minutes remaining in the game helped seal the Lafayette victory. Garner was reluctant to talk about what areas of her game have improved the most, but she did admit that defense has been a focus for her since arriving on College Hill.
"I knew that defense hadn't always been my strength," she said, "and that's something I've worked hard to improve. But any improvement in my game has been based on the team working hard toward a common goal. That's how you improve as a player."
While Garner has seen most of her time off the bench this year, she is also more than capable of starting, as she earned 20 starts as a sophomore in 2006-07, averaging nearly 11 points per outing. She also tallied a team and personal-best 198 rebounds that season.
It would be easy for Garner to struggle with her bench role this season after seeing such success as a starter, but she has enough confidence in her abilities to know she can help the team as much off the bench as she can with a starting role.
"Whatever role I can play to help the team out is what I've embraced and appreciate," she said. "I know the coaches expect me to go out there and help the team. Whether it's starting or coming off the bench, I know I can help the team get a win and that's my ultimate goal."
That unselfish attitude is certainly a reflection of Garner's upbringing. Her parents and grandmother can be seen at nearly every home game and at more than a handful of road games. Garner could not overstate the impact their support has on her.
"I can't begin to describe how thankful I am to them for being there for me through everything," she said. "In high school, I think my dad missed maybe three games and I can't remember a game my mother and grandmother missed. They've missed maybe a few games here at Lafayette but they came even during my freshman year when I was hurt. Their support has helped me get through the past records and my injuries."
This season Garner and all of her teammates had yet another reason to be thankful. It's common knowledge that Smith was diagnosed with cancer prior to the start of the season. Smith has since made a complete recovery, but the impact of her illness has lingered.
"Coach Smith has been an inspiration to all of us," Garner said. "As a team, it brought us closer together. We wanted to help her get through it and hopefully we did that."
Garner's desire to improve those around her is just one part of what makes her a great player. Beneath that unselfish exterior is a drive and passion for winning.
Her intensity may not always be evident, but it surfaces on the court and when she feels her team isn't earning the respect it deserves. The Leopards were chosen to finish in a tie for sixth place in the Patriot League's Preseason Poll, a fact not lost on Garner or her teammates.
"We went up to Bucknell and beat them at their place a few weeks ago and I don't know the last time a Lafayette team did that," she said. "We get a lot of satisfaction seeing what we've accomplished so far and how we've proven people wrong. I think going into the year, our coaches, the players, our parents and maybe a handful of other people really believed we could do it and I think now we're showing a lot of people wrong."
Garner certainly hopes her team keeps proving people wrong. It's no secret Lafayette's ultimate goal is a Patriot League championship but Garner acknowledges the importance of taking it one game at a time.
"Because of our past records, which weren't the greatest, we still take it one game at a time," she said. "We have already won 12 games with seven to go and in the backs of our minds, everyone is looking toward the end result, but we're also thinking that we have to put everything into all the games leading up to our ultimate goal."
As a junior, Garner will have one more year to top whatever further accomplishments this season brings. Despite that, she is taking nothing for granted in what has already been what many consider a successful season.
"The rewards basketball has given to me and the team go beyond the court," she said. "All of us are friends for life. It's an unbelievable experience to play basketball at Lafayette. I don't regret a minute of it and I think we have a lot to look forward to."
If Lafayette can continue to attract players that possess Garner's combination of unselfishness and passion to win, there certainly is a lot to look forward to.
