PHOTO BY SPORTSPIX.COM
Swampscott’s Niki Laskaris is enjoying her senior season on the court at Brandeis.
By JOSHUA KUMMINS
Swampscott native Niki Laskaris is enjoying her senior year as a member of the Brandeis University women’s basketball team.
Laskaris continues to put the ball in the basket (averaging 6.1 points per game) over 19 minutes of play a contest, while posting 2.5 rebounds and close to one steal per game.
However, numbers are not the main concern. She’s just playing the game, and it’s that simple.
“It’s been probably my best season because I’m just really comfortable and enjoying playing, instead of worrying about trivial stuff like points or minutes,” Laskaris said. “I’m just having fun on the court, and all I really care about is the fact that this is my last go, so I’m just enjoying it.”
After scoring in double figures for the fourth time this season in a Jan. 31 loss to Carnegie Mellon, Laskaris combined for nine points this past weekend as the Judges completed a road sweep against CMU and fellow University Athletic Association opponent Case Western Reserve.
Although Laskaris has maintained steady offensive numbers and contributed on the scoresheet in all but two games this season, she has worked most on her defense.
The added balance in her game has been a crucial part of her success.
“My defense wasn’t always the best,” said Laskaris, whose team is 11-9 on the year. “It was better in high school, but in college I really focused on scoring and my defense kind of suffered. I’ve done a lot with that this year, and limiting my turnovers.”
Carol Simon, Brandeis’ 29th-year head coach, has seen Laskaris take great pride in working on the defensive side of her game. She has always been a tireless worker, and this year has been no different.
“The thing with Niki is that she works really hard to improve her individual game a lot,” said Simon, who guided Brandeis to its third ECAC Division III New England championship last year. “(Defense) is definitely something she needed to work on, and you could tell she is really focusing a lot on that. Her on-ball defense has definitely gotten much better than it has been in the past.”
Making such a transition can be a difficult one in basketball, but Laskaris has just set her mind to it. Shot selection has been a key to her improvement and consistency on the offensive side of the ball.
“Sometimes I wasn’t focused on that, but every year I learn a little more about the game,” Laskaris said. “I think I’m just taking better shots, and sometimes that means fewer shots. It’s a lot more about focusing and limiting some mental lapses that I haven’t had this year.”
Brandeis’ schedule in the UAA does not include any opponents inside the New England region, so travel can be difficult at times for Laskaris and the Judges. This past weekend’s road trip saw the team’s Sunday night flight out of Pittsburgh delayed for a couple hours.
“Our flight got delayed, so stuff like is hard,” Laskaris said. “We’ve gotten stuck (in the past). It’s really hard with school to leave, you have to miss Thursday and Friday classes and make up work. It’s not easy, even though it’s a luxury.”
Time has flown by for Laskaris, who is one of three seniors on a Brandeis team that has just five regular-season games to play. Ceara McNamara and Gloucester native Heather Cain are her two classmates, and Laskaris says their focus is identical to hers.
“I love my class. They’re my best friends and we’ve become really close,” Laskaris said. “We have fun together. I think they’re doing the same thing I’m doing, just enjoying the game of basketball and playing every game like it’s the last one.”
Names and notes
Swampscott’s Ryan January went 6-for-11 with four extra-base hits and six RBIs for the San Jacinto College baseball team as they opened their season in a four-game tournament in Henderson, NV during the last weekend of January…Peabody’s Gina Beth Manganiello scored her team-leading seventh goal of the season for the Becker College women’s hockey team in their 2-0 win over SUNY Canton on Saturday…Lynn’s Khalil Flemming took ninth place in the long jump (6.09 meters) and fifth in the triple jump (13.15 meters) for the Amherst College track team at the Tufts Invitational on Saturday…Lynn’s Uche Nwokeji led the Plymouth State men’s basketball team with 17 points and eight rebounds in their loss to Eastern Connecticut on Saturday.