The Rowan women’s basketball team started off their season last Thursday when they competed in the Messiah Tip-Off Tournament. The team was able to win their first-round matchup against Salisbury but fell to Messiah in the final round of play to start the season off with a 1-1 record.

Two players made the all-tournament team, one of them was Kate Herlihy, to no one’s surprise. Herlihy averaged 20.5 points in the two games and was the focal point for Rowan’s offense.

Another player who had a standout performance was a sophomore entrepreneurship major Haley Selmer. Selmer made the all-tournament team averaging 12.5 points and five rebounds in those two games.

“It felt good I have been putting work in and out of practice,” Selmer said. “To just be able to get it going on the court helps me build my confidence.”

Selmer originally was recruited for her softball play but eventually switched to wanting to play basketball in college.

“I always had a love for basketball but I played softball my whole life,” Selmer said. “It was my senior year and I felt a roadblock softball and basketball felt like a new opportunity to grow and learn.”

The game of basketball seemed to fit Selmer’s style more.

“I do not like to sit still, I like to be moving,” Selmer said. “Softball is very still while basketball is intense and fast-paced. I have always had a love for basketball.”

Selmer did not play much during her freshman year, she played four games and only 2.8 minutes a game. But her head coach Kate Pearson knew that Selmer could be a big piece for the team after her freshman year.

“Her freshman year she had a lot of potential,” Pearson said. “She just had some learning to do. We knew last year was gonna be a big learning year for her.”

Between years one and two there has been a noticeable change in the way she plays the game.

“Her confidence is a big difference,” Pearson said. “She put so much work in the offseason, you can see that physically and the way she is playing more free. She is definitely a little looser out there.”

With the way she played this weekend, she should see a bigger role throughout the season. She did the things that the team is going to need from her to pick up more wins in the future. 

“She went in, ran the floor, and got rebounds,” Pearson said. “She took advantage of the opportunity she was given. We will look for her to do more of that going forward.”

With the high-minute three seniors from last season, Nicole Mallard, Savanna Holt, and Eliana Santana all graduated, a lot of minutes have opened up, which is something Selmer will be to take advantage of throughout this season. Especially if she continues with how she played in the tournament.

“She is gonna be who is going to continue to be a threat for our team,” Pearson said. “She can use athleticism to get rebounds and get steals, we just want her to continue to grow.”

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