Reece Making Double Trouble for Opponents
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Delmara Reece |
By Dan Jacobson
Delmara Reece grew up in humble surroundings in Jamaica and moved to the United States at the age of 13. She never had the advantages of playing on travel basketball teams, having private coaches or any type of extra help. In fact, Reece, who resides in Yonkers, didn’t start playing basketball until the eighth grade and that wasn’t even her first choice.
“When I started playing in the eighth grade I was really
into track and soccer, but my middle school didn’t have it
and my dad said you can’t just sit around and do
nothing,” Reece said. “So I figured I’d just play
basketball because there was nothing else to do.”
What started out as third on the totem pole has opened her up to a
private college education at Mercy College and a chance to play
Division II basketball and soccer. After being red-shirted her
first academic year due to NCAA Clearinghouse rules, she played
soccer in the fall and led the Mavericks in points (14) and goals
(7).
“It really benefited Delmara to sit the year, be at practice
and learn the game,” women’s head basketball coach
Ashlee Kelly said. “She also started to pick up things that
she would need to make an impact that next year.”
Reece, a business major, has made quite an impact in her first
season, averaging a double-double with 13.5 points and 12.6
rebounds per game. She has won five East Coast Conference (ECC)
Rookie of the Week honors and three times has been named to the
PrestoSports/Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA)
Weekly Honor Roll.
Kelly believes that Reece’s natural ability is the key to her
success. “She has a nose for the ball, and her athleticism
and rebounding are her best attributes.”
The freshman forward is third in the nation (as of the latest NCAA
rankings) in rebounding behind only Cal State’s Vanessa Wilt
(13.9) and Elizabeth City State’s Celeste Trahan (16.7).
Earlier this season against Concordia, Reece collected a
career-high 23 rebounds and scored 19 points.
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Reece has led the Mavericks to a 5-6 start in the ECC and a 5-2
record at home. Some of her teammates are having productive seasons
as well. Junior guard Christina Baxter leads the team in scoring
with 14.2 points per game and is 26th in the nation in assists per
game (5.5). Freshman forward Ashley Finnegan has also found her
niche with the Mavericks, averaging 11.4 points per game and 7.6
rebounds per game.
The challenges of being a two-sport star are numerous, but Reece is
confident that she is up for it. Her athletic physique provides her
with a strong frame to endure the many physical tests that occur
from season-to-season.
The Yonkers resident loves both of the sports she has chosen and
wouldn’t think of picking one over the other. Reece almost
speaks about soccer and basketball as if they were her family,
saying “I love them both equally.”
Now that it’s winter Reece concentrates solely on basketball
and expends her energy trying to improve her game. “If I work
on my post game I can become a more dominant player down
low.”
Kelly, a graduate of Quinnipiac University, has extensively worked
with Reece on her play in the post and believes that her current
success is just a small sample of what’s on the way.
“After another year or so of really learning the inside
game,” said Kelly, “I think she’s going to be one
of the top players in the league.”
Few Maverick opponents have yet to get a handle on Reece as
evidenced by her 11 double-doubles. As long as Reece continues to
have her way it will be double trouble for the student-athletes
that try to guard her.
