WATERBURY, CT– During her four seasons on the varsity girls basketball team at Revere High, Meaghan Gotham was an integral piece of the puzzle for a Patriots team that grew into a Northeastern Conference powerhouse. Revere made the state tournament three times in those four years. Last season, Gotham’s senior year, saw the Patriots hold a stint as the No. 1 ranked team in the state.
Now Gotham’s hoping the success she saw on the court in high school will carry over to the collegiate level. Gotham, a starting forward in her freshman season with the women’s basketball team at Division II Post University, is aiming to right the ship for an Eagles program that has stumbled in recent years.
In eight games, all starts, Gotham has posted averages of 9.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per contest while shooting 38.5 percent from the floor and 50 percent from the charity stripe. Although it’s her first season playing college basketball, playing time hasn’t been limited for Gotham as she averages 24.1 minutes per game.
“I just wanted to prove that I could play at this level,” the 6-foot-2 freshman said. “There were some doubts that I could be a Division II athlete. One of my goals was to start as a freshman and help us turn around the program. We’re looking to have a better season than we did last season and I’m hoping to contribute to that.”
After concluding a successful career at Revere, Gotham had a handful of options for where to continue playing basketball. First-year Post coach Jon Plefka, who previously served as the team’s recruiting coordinator, offered her a chance to crack the Eagles’ starting rotation and Gotham made her choice.
“The coaching staff here is amazing,” Gotham, who also played volleyball at Revere, said. “They believed in me so much to come in as a freshman and contribute to this program. They really believed in me as a freshman and the rest of the freshman class coming in. I’m starting as a freshman on a Division II team and that’s hard. The chance to start as a freshman and come to a great school was perfect for me.”
The transition from high school to college basketball hasn’t been easy but Gotham has made adjustments throughout the season. Coming from a winning program in which she developed chemistry with talented players made things tough in that Gotham found herself having to start from scratch with new teammates.
“It’s hard coming from high school when I played with amazing players like Valentina (Pepic) and Pamela (Gonzalez),” Gotham said. “You’re a little fish in a big pond coming from high school to college. My coaches believed in me enough to make me a starter and give me as much playing time as I’m getting. It’s amazing and it proves that hard work and dedication can get you to where you want to be.
“I have to thank all my coaches,” Gotham added. “Everybody at Revere really helped me along the way. That includes all my trainers and my teammates. They really helped push me to where I am today.”
Through eight games, the Eagles stand at 2-6 on the season. Most recently, Post fell on the wrong side of a close 3-point loss to Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference opponent Nyack College, 73-70, on Dec. 19. The Eagles are 1-2 against CACC teams this winter, with the bulk of their conference schedule still to come.
Gotham feels the Eagles have improved as the season has taken its course, with all players buying into the mentality that Post isn’t the same team it has been in the past.
“We’re getting better each game and working hard in practice to improve,” Gotham said. “We started off with a blank slate. We came in with five new players and a brand new coach so we’re learning together. Everyone’s working together to be the best team we can be. We came in ranked seventh in the conference and we’re working to prove that we’re not the same team we were last year.”
In the classroom, Gotham’s still learning the ins and outs of finding a good balance between academics and athletics. Developing a routine and receiving support from her coaches have helped her along the way.
“It’s hard balancing a Division II sport and college courses but it’s also easier in a way,” Gotham, an international business major, said. “You have a routine and schedule that you just have to get used to. I get a lot of support from my coaches. It’s not easy but it’s definitely manageable.”
Although she’s no longer a Patriot, Gotham’s confident that she left the team in good hands moving forward. Revere projects to be a tough team to beat in the NEC this winter.
“I think they should be pretty good this year,” Gotham said. “They lost a few players but they still have the talent and the drive. When I was there, we always wanted to be better than we were the year before. I think the coaching staff has that drive too. They can do it, they’re all very dedicated girls.”
Gotham and the Eagles are back in action on Saturday afternoon when they host Dominican College at Post’s Drubner Center.