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Bodtorf shares wisdom, insight into Eagles' season
HUNTINGDON -- Bri Bodtorf has played in 63 career games for the Juniata College women's basketball program and continues to help elevate her team no matter the outcome.
The Eagles are 6-9 so far this season and have lost four of their past five games. But that isn't stopping them from keeping their eyes on the playoffs.
"Our season thus far has been full of ups and downs. We are already looking a lot better from previous years. We came into the season being ranked at the bottom, but it has only fueled us, and we are continuing to surprise people. We have had great moments and times where things just won't go our way, but we have stuck together as a team and keep continuing to work hard. We are hungry to make the postseason and will continue to work to reach our goals," Bodtorf said.
Bodtorf is a former Mifflin County Husky. She received the Jenna Feathers Award during her junior year. She also earned the Husky Award as a sophomore, junior and senior.
The current junior guard/forward noted a few differences between her time with the Huskies and the Eagles.
"The biggest challenge going from high school to college ball was adjusting to the speed of the game. Having a shot clock really sped up the pace of the game. Adjusting to this new pace took me awhile to get comfortable with. Another difference was the physicality. In college you must learn to play through a lot more contact than what you are used to in high school. In college there is a lot more aggression than in high school," Bodtorf explained.
Bodtorf has 601 total points in her college career and she's started every game she's played in with the Eagles.
She acknowledged that some Juniata teammates have left an impact on her college career.
"Some teammates that have really left an impact on my college career are Kynnedy Miller, Steph Emert, Haily Sherman and Aleya Eisenberg. They have/were always the first to celebrate my successes and pick me up when things haven't gone my way. Every single one of my teammates have had a big impact on my college career in some way and I am thankful for all of them," Bodtorf said.
What are some drills/practices that have been most important in helping the Eagles grow as a unit?
"We start every practice with fundamentals. Even though these seem so basic I think they are most important. Shooting, ball handling, passing, boxing out are all important to the game. We will do basic shooting from mid-range to threes to pull up jumpers every day then we will do some form of ball handling and passing drills," Bodtorf highlighted.
"We do a drill where the defensive team has 30 seconds of straight defense and they cannot get off the court until they can go a full 30 seconds without getting scored on. You must make sure you play good team defense with great communication and finish with a great team box out. It is a tiring drill, but it forces you to be disciplined for a long period of time which is big. This drill has been very important for us as we continue to grow as a team."
This season Juniata College is being led by Marissa Molnar, who is in her first year with the club. During the previous two seasons, Molnar was an assistant coach at Franklin and Marshall (Lancaster).
"She is always instilling confidence in us as a team. She is always telling us how much she believes in us and how we can do anything we put our mind to. When our shots aren't falling, she is the first person to tell us the next one will, that she believes in us, and that we are "ballers". She always has our backs and never lets us drop our heads. I personally have always struggled with confidence and having Coach Molnar in my corner has really benefited me," Bodtorf said.
Bodtorf has averaged more than 10 points per contest in each of the past two seasons.
Any advice to athletes thinking about playing college ball?
"In college ball there are going to be a lot of ups and downs. Not every day is going to go your way. Your shots are not always going to fall, and it will be easy to hang your head. Never stop giving 100 percent effort even if that looks different day to day. Having the mentality of next play is big in college," Bodtorf noted.
"You are on that court for a reason so always have confidence, always work hard, and know you deserve to be there. You can contribute in many ways on a team so always strive to improve one percent better every day."
Bodtorf and Juniata host Susquehanna today at 7 p.m.