It took ten years and ten months – a new record has finally been broken by one player on the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) basketball team. On Friday, December 28, 2012, Brittney Shaner became the all-time individual leading scorer in SMWC basketball history. She surpassed the mark during the game against Indiana Tech at the SportONE Shootout tournament in Fort Wayne, Ind.
The previous individual record was set back in February of 2002 by Brooke Griffith-Langford. She had accumulated a career total of 1,695 points during her four years as a member of the Pomeroy basketball team. Since the tournament two weekends ago, Shaner, from Greenwood, Ind., currently has 1,756 points and will look to add on to that total with eleven more regular season games left to go.
“To achieve this accomplishment almost does not feel real, exclaimed Shaner. I am not overly ecstatic because I do everything I can for our team to win, not for me to break records. I never dreamed I would break any record and knowing that my hard work is paying off does make me feel good.”
Even though the record was broken on Friday night’s contest, Shaner had not realized she had broken the record until head coach Deanna Bradley announced it after their game against Trine University on Saturday, December 29, 2012. “I did realize at some point this year I was going to break the record, but I had no idea when,” said Shaner.
Shaner is not only the Pomeroy’s best offensive player this season, but also the top defensive player. She has been a United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Academic All-American for three years, a USCAA Honorable Mention All-American for two years, and just recently broke the all-time individual school record in steals.
Head coach Deanna Bradley couldn’t have been happier for her star player. “This is a phenomenal accomplishment for Brittney and could not have happened to a better person. Brittney is very much like Brooke Griffin-Langford. For both players it has always been about what works best for the team. I remember when Brittney scored 40 points in one game last year, and all she said was, “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates.” These are the type of players you like to see rise to the occasion, receiving individual accolades, with the team’s success the priority.”
Shaner knows she couldn’t have achieved such an accomplishment without the help and guidance of her coaches. “Coach Bradley and Ballenger have truly impacted my basketball career at SMWC. We have been through a lot these last four years and I do not regret a single moment. They encouraged me to be my absolute best on and off the court. I have learned a lot about life in general through this program and it has helped me see that there is much more to life than basketball. They are wonderful people who strive to help me be the best I can be.”
As honored as Shaner is about her personal achievement, she also wanted to thank her parents for all of their love and support over the years. “I would like to thank my dad, Rick, and my mom, Tammy, for being there every step of the way. They have been big supporters. They are always reinforcing me to stay positive. If I have a bad game, they reiterate that is fine and that I will do better next time. Not only do they support me, they also support all of my teammates. After games they make sure to say nice game or good job to all my teammates before they speak to me. Honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.”