Baxter’s Decision Pays Off with Record Breaking Success
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Baxter's Decision Pays Off with Record Breaking Success
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DOBBS FERRY, NY - Mercy College's Head women's basketball coach Ashlee Kelly knew she had a special student-athlete in former Tuxedo High School standout Christina Baxter (Greenwood Lake, NY) when she was hired prior to the 2006-07 season.
After a winless freshman season, Baxter told her she was thinking of leaving school to enter the work force, but Kelly impressed upon her the need for a college education and the importance it plays in an individual's maturity. After about three weeks, Baxter decided to stay and so began her assault on the Mercy College women's basketball record books.
Despite a difficult freshman season, Baxter still averaged 11.1 points per game and led the team in assists with 122. The Greenwood Lake native was recognized throughout the season by earning three New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC) Rookie of the Week honors. She led the conference in assists per game with 4.9 and was named NYCAC Rookie of the Year.
Even with all the individual accolades, the criminal justice major wasn't completely happy because the team wasn't winning. Her sophomore year began with the team dropping three of its first four games, and it weighed on her. She considered leaving, but Kelly stepped in and imparted some wisdom.
"I knew Christina had the world in the palms of her hands," Kelly said. "All she needed to do was stay, get her degree and great things would follow.
Over the next few weeks Baxter mulled over whether to stay in school or not, and fortunately for her and Mercy College, Kelly's words kept ringing in her ear.
"If it wasn't for coach Kelly I wouldn't be graduating this May and certainly wouldn't have achieved so much on the basketball court," Baxter said.
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Four games later, Baxter had decided to stay in school and her decision seemed to rejuvenate her as her level of play started to elevate. She scored 17 points against American International College in her first game after that decision.
Baxter averaged 13.8 points per game to lead the team and was an All-East Coast Conference (ECC) Third Team selection. She was also named to the PrestoSports/MBWA Women's Basketball Honor Roll three times as she helped begin the turnaround of the program with seven wins that year, including five in conference play.
And so the numbers began to pile up for Baxter. During her junior season she established new career-highs in points (424), assists (147), and steals (51). She averaged 15.7 points per game and reached the prestigious 1,000 points scored plateau. Baxter was named to the All-ECC Second Team and led the team with 5.4 assists per game.
This season she has continued to light up the scoreboard, averaging 16.2 points per game and dishing out a league best 6.1 assists per game, which is good for ninth in the nation. She also leads the team in steals and ranks third in the ECC at 2.7 per game. Baxter established a new career-high for points in a game with 33 against Queens. She hit 10-of-11 free throw attempts and had eight assists.
"Christina Baxter has continued her excellent play into her senior year. She has made herself a more prominent passer this season but still knows when to take her shot," Kelly said. "She continues to make those around her better as she raises her level of play."
To cap it off, Baxter broke the school record for career assists in her final regular season home game versus NYIT and now has 534. She has also moved into fifth on the all-time scoring list with 1,482 career points, and seventh in steals at 235.
"She will be remembered as one of the great all-time Mercy College players when her stellar career is over," Kelly said.
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"It's definitely a great honor to be in the Mercy College record books. All the hard work I've put in the past four years is finally paying off," Baxter said.
Baxter is excited to be graduating, but will miss playing basketball competitively.
"The season will come to an end and basketball is not going to be a part of my life anymore," Baxter said. "I've been playing for the past 15 years."
Meanwhile, Baxter has been a pivotal member of the 2008-09 Mavericks who have earned a spot in the ECC tournament for the first time since 2001-02. They have also posted 10 wins for the first time since 1996-97, with Baxter earning All-ECC Second Team honors for a second time.
And now that this part of her life is coming to a close it can end with prestige and a distinction that can never be taken away from her - a bachelor's degree from Mercy College.
