STAFF WRITER
SARA DRESSER

If you see a women’s basketball game this season, don’t be surprised to see a lot of unfamiliar faces on the Fisher bench. With four seniors graduating last season, Fisher brings 15 freshmen to its lineup for the upcoming season.

One of those five returning players is Mary Francis, the team’s only senior. Francis will be playing her fourth and final season at Fisher and steps into a huge leadership role on the team.

“It is extremely important for our team to have senior leadership in order to continue our successful program that we have established,” assistant coach Marianne O’Connor Ermi said. “Since Mary is our only senior we will be counting on her to provide leadership, consistency, knowledge and a role model of a great work ethic.”

Francis hails from Naples, Florida, and chose St. John Fisher for several reasons.

“I went to high school with a girl whose father is an alumnus at Fisher. He saw one of my basketball games and suggested I look at the school,” Francis, a three-sport athlete in high school, said. This peaked her interest and came at a time when her mother was moving to New York.

“I wanted to be closer to my mother and other family that lived in New York,” Francis said.

Francis liked the fact that Fisher was a small school but still had a great basketball program.

“Playing college sports is a big decision,” she said. “Fisher was smaller than most schools I looked at, but it seemed to be the most competitive.”

Francis has seen plenty of minutes as a Cardinal.

“Mary is a hustler,” junior teammate Ashley Napoleone said. “She’s very quick, intense and is a great defensive player.  This year, she has a bigger role as the only senior but I have never known Mary to back down from any challenge.”

Although Francis has big shoes to fill, O’Connor Ermi feels the senior can teach a lot to the younger players on the team. “We expect her to be a leader both offensively and defensively.”

Many of her teammates feel the same way as O’Connor Ermi does when it comes to Francis’ leadership and playing skills.

“My favorite thing about Mary as a basketball player is her tenacity,” junior Ashley Dean said. “When she wants to score, she’s going to score. She always goes 100 percent.”

Obviously, having 15 freshmen on a team is going to be scary at first, but everyone in the women’s basketball program feels they can jump that hurdle and come out as champions again this season. Hard work and dedication is what will win games, and Francis exhibits both of those qualities.

Email address: sjd9660@sjfc.edu