The Spectrum

Issue date: 3/23/06 Section: Sports

Media Credit: The Spectrum/ Travis Flynn Amanda Pape glances favorably at the hoop in a practice session at Penn State before the Maryland game.

Amanda Pape stood on a ladder looking up at the basket with scissors in her hand, ready to cut down the net that her 25 points caressed, earning her the Northeast Conference basketball tournament Most Valuable Player award after defeating Quinnipiac and clinching a trip to the NCAA tournament.

Fans stormed the court to celebrate with Sacred Heart's new athletic phenom, and that is when the booming "MVP" chants came from the Pitt Center faithful. In the future, they can say that this moment was when the real story began.

SHU's women's basketball program made the transition from a Division III squad to a Division I team seven years ago and has shown tremendous success at each stage of becoming a big-time powerhouse. Through tough times, the transition never ceased improving, as strong recruiting by head coach Ed Swanson has paved the way for the Pioneers to compete at a high level.

The big women on campus set a school record 26-5 overall win-loss tally and enjoyed moments of great accomplishment. Pape and senior Nicolle Rubino each scored their 1,000th career point as the two Pioneers undoubtedly will be known as key contributors to the program's effort to build towards bigger things.

Perhaps their biggest contributions came this past Sunday when the Pioneers took on the University of Maryland, the third ranked team in the country on ESPN network. The Terrapins were heavily favored as the number two seed against the Pioneers, who were the fifteenth seed, and the score showed it. The blowout loss is not the story here, because it was almost expected to happen.

Sacred Heart was viewed on television by basketball fans all across the country, as they watched SHU compete against a school that is respected as a basketball powerhouse.

In the closing minutes of the first half, the Pioneers went on a run that cut the halftime deficit to 47-33. Pape capped off the run when she banged a one-handed three point shot at the buzzer.

The fans, sporting all red, were heard throughout the telecast for their vocal support.

All season long, Pape found herself in the middle of any positive outcome for the Pioneers, and the NEC recognized that when she was awarded the Conference Player of the Year.

As a freshman, Pape poured in 437 points; she added another 433 in her sophomore year.

Just like the program, she improved and was ready to move on to bigger and better stages, such as a becoming a 1,000 point scorer and a Conference Player of the Year and a tournament MVP, which she accomplished as a junior.

In the midst of the celebration of the program's highest achievement, Sacred Heart fans will look with vigilant eyes for next season and wonder what Pape has up her sleeve.

Pape, point guard Kerri Burke, center Jasmine Walker and the young contributors return next year with the same goal in mind, which is to build on the foundation that was set so perfectly this season.

The locker room doors closed after losing in the NCAA tournament, but the window for opportunity is wider than ever for Sacred Heart.

This is where the story begins.

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