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Bryan Not Letting Injury Slow Her Down

BLOOMSBURG— When Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb played almost an entire game on a broken ankle against the Arizona Cardinals last season, Eagles fans knew they had something special. They had a leader that did what it took for the team to win. Jen Bryan of the Bloomsburg University women's basketball team is trying to play on a broken foot, and shares many of the same qualities. They both are determined athletes, and played through injuries to try to help their team succeed.

Bryan, one of only two returning starters from last year, and returning PSAC East Athlete of the Year, has been an impact player for the Huskies ever since she was a sophomore. She was the second leading scorer on the team in both her sophomore and junior seasons with 13.9 and 10.8 points per game respectively. She led the team in rebounds last season, and was second her sophomore year, behind only graduated senior Megan LaBuda.

“You can't really replace a Megan LaBuda, but I felt I had to step it up, and every one else had to step it up this season,” said Bryan. "As a senior, I had to take a leadership role, both on and off the court," said Bryan, a third team All-American last season.

While many people were not looking at the Bloomsburg University Huskies women's basketball team as much of a threat this season, Bryan, a captain on the team, saw a whole different picture. Returning just two starters from last year's 21-6 team, the non-believers may have had good reason to have their doubts, but the Huskies were out to prove they could still play. For the first time in recent memory, the Huskies women's basketball team was in the underdog role.

“We have a whole different look this season, that's the way college basketball goes with transfers and graduation,” said Bryan. “The teams that adjust to the transition are the teams that do well, and I think we've adjusted to it.”

The Huskies started their season off on a sour note, losing to Holy Family. Jen Bryan, JB as her teammates call her did however have her, now routine, double-double, with 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Bryan then led the team on a four game winning streak, their longest of the season, winning by an average of 10 points per game. This streak included a career-high, 28 points by Bryan in a win against Shippensburg. The win also snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Lady Raiders.

The team's winning streak was ended abruptly at the Capital Key Classic in a 59-51 loss to Bloomfield. The Huskies went 1-2 at the tournament, with Bryan scoring just 22 points in three games. However, the team was hit hard by the flu bug, which limited nearly the entire team's effectiveness.

Winning just half of their next eight games, the team needed a spark. They got their spark in the form of another Jen Bryan double-double against Kutztown. Bryan racked up 12 points and 14 rebounds in what was the beginning of a Huskies three game winning streak. In this streak Bryan had another double-double against Bowie St. with 17 points, and 11 rebounds. She was also named PSAC East Player of the Week. In this three game run the Huskies won by an average of over 20 points per game.

Perhaps the most telling game was against Cheyney, which was the first Huskies win where Bryan didn't play well, having just five points and six rebounds. The Huskies proved they could win without a big game from Bryan, which proved to be necessary in the games to come.

Just three games later, the Huskies would have to play the remainder of the regular season without Bryan, due to a foot fracture. “Right now [my foot] just isn't letting me do what I want to do,” said Bryan.

With a playoff berth in the balance, the Huskies needed to step it up a notch without their leader. They did just that, going 3-1 in their final four games of the regular season, securing a PSAC playoff spot.

“Stef Kline has been playing well, Karen Yeasted has seen a lot of big minutes, and so has Meaghan Roe. Those three have really known what they had to do, and they have done just that,” said Bryan of her teammates.

The Huskies look to avenge two losses to Millersville during the season, the closest being a five-point loss at Millersville.

Some would say the Bloomsburg University women's basketball team had a sub-par season. With a 15-10 record that some teams would die for, more seems to be expected from the Huskies after going a combined 45-13 in the last two years. But all of that could be forgotten on Tuesday as the Huskies begin a new season, on a clean slate, with the start of the PSAC playoffs at 6 pm at Millersville University.

The question remains to be seen at this time if Jen Bryan can pull a Donovan McNabb, and make a comeback for the playoffs. “If I could play that would be wonderful, I'd love to finish out my year here, and if I can't, that's just they way it was supposed to be,” said Bryan. The Huskies proved they could win without her, but would like to go out with their leader guiding the way.