TROY — The University at Albany women’s basketball team didn’t have a Senior Night last season.
The Great Danes (18-10, 12-2 America East) are making up for it this season, honoring half the team before Saturday night’s 7 p.m. tipoff against Maine (13-12, 9-4).
Fifth-years Ellen Hahne and Lucia Decortes; seniors Grace Heeps, Helene Haegerstrand, Fatima Lee and Taniya Hanner; and redshirt junior Morgan Haney will all be recognized.
Heeps, Haegerstrand, Lee, Hanner and Haney could all decide to return for another year. Haney has two years of eligibility left, but the group, who all started in 2019, wanted to celebrate together regardless of their choices in the offseason.
- When: 7 p.m. Saturday
- Where: McDonough Sports Complex, Hudson Valley Community College, Troy
- Stream: ESPN3
“It’s just fun that we (have) so many seniors on our team and we’re doing it together,” Haegerstrand said.
“I hope they all come back. I offered it to everybody,” UAlbany coach Colleen Mullen said. “But it’s about what’s best for them professionally, personally and athletically.”
The group is the first graduating class Mullen recruited herself after coming to UAlbany in 2018.
“When I recruited each one of these players, we weren’t a winning program and I think that speaks volumes to their character and their commitment to rebuild this program into a championship-caliber program,” she said. “It’s certainly all them, the way that they’ve created the culture of unselfishness and teamwork, and they’re just winners through and through.”
Haegerstrand’s family flew in from Sweden for the game. Though Haegerstrand knew her parents were coming, her sister’s presence was a surprise — something that’s normally difficult to pull off.
…
Read the full article here