Even though an 0-11 start meant they didn’t make the AUBC playoffs last spring, the Axewomen ended the regular season as one of the hottest teams in the conference.
It’s been even better so far this season. The Acadia women entered play Jan. 30, leading the conference with a 13-0 regular season record.
While Anderson hasn’t done it all herself, she is leading the AUBC in scoring (averaging 21.8 points per game), as well as assists, steals and field goal percentage.
More importantly, the five-foot-three point guard’s intensity, determination and work ethic are infectious, helping to make the entire team better.
A native of New York City who moved to Arizona in Grade 6, the 21-year-old attended high school and a year of junior college in Phoenix.
“After my first year of junior college,” she says, “I was going to take the year off, but a man contacted the coach in Phoenix and said he could help me get into another junior college in Iowa.”
She made the shift, but, “it didn’t work out.” The same man then put her into contact with Augy Jones at St. F.X.
“I was accepted there, but I wasn’t going to be able to play because their athletic director wouldn’t allow players to come in at mid-season and play,” she said.
She next contacted Acadia head coach Bev Greenlaw.
“Kevin Dickie allowed me to come in mid-season and play right away. I’ve been here ever since.”
Anderson thought about leaving Acadia after Greenlaw retired at the end of last season.
“I was used to moving on, trying the next best thing,” she said.
After meeting with new head coach Len Harvey, she decided to stick it out. Playing in Canada was attractive the sociology student, who hopes to spend four years at Acadia.
“I had a friend at JuCo who came up to Saskatchewan to play. You can play five years up here, so when I had the chance to come to Canada, I took it,” she said.
Passion for the game
Anderson began playing basketball in sixth grade, when she moved to Phoenix.
“I played soccer, too, and was pretty good at it, and I used to run track,” she said. When the schedules started to conflict in high school, she chose basketball.
While Anderson doesn’t necessarily see herself as a team leader, she tries to lead by example.
“The goal should be to become better as a team,” she says.
“You have to ask yourself, do you want to be a #1 player on a poor team, or be part of a group who buys into the system and wants to succeed as a group? I’d always choose the latter. I’m always in the gym, and I’m always willing to help a teammate.”
Anderson’s style of play is unique. It even took the officials a few games to figure her out.
“There’s no secret to my game,” she said. “If there was a secret, I’d love to know it. A lot of it is mental, and the work ethic is huge. You can be intelligent, but without the work ethic, you won’t succeed.”
Even in high school, Anderson was known as a good player.
“I always had a good game. For some reason, here in Canada, I’ve become more consistent. It feels different here. It’s probably part of being more mature,” as a player and as a person, she said.
Record breaker
In a Jan. 20 game against St. F.X., Anderson scored 41 points, a new school record for women’s basketball.
“I never want to be a selfish player,” she said. “I didn’t take any poor shots, or extra shots, only shots I would normally have taken. It was a fun way to score 41, but it’s just as much fun for me to get assists as baskets.”
Anderson is not surprised at all at the Axewomen success so far this season.
“I look at our team, and even without me, there’s lots of depth and balance. That’s so important for a successful team. You don’t go 13-0 because you’re lucky,” she said.
“(We) all have a common goal: to be the best team we can be. I’ve been on winning teams and losing teams. I know how it feels to lose. It’s much nicer to win.”
The closeness of the team is key to that.
“I’m never going to be part of a team that’s as bonded as we are. There’s something different about us. Even when we’re not on the court, we’re all like friends and family,” she said.
“(It’s) a 100 per cent plus that we have the coach we have, you could even take him away and we’d still be the same team.”
She believes the Axewomen can go as far as they want.
“We have the right team, the right coach, and everybody is buying into the system,” she said.
In the space of 48 hours Jan. 20-22, the Axewomen swept both ends of a home-and-home series with St. F.X., winning 97-59 in Anderson’s 41-point game and 88-62.
“It didn’t have anything to do with St. F.X., or how good they are. It’s the team we have,” she said.
“I was telling Allie (Berry) the other day that if I was playing against our team, I’d hate it. Anyone we sub in, there’s no break. Everyone has the same work ethic, and the same amount of energy. Winning like we’re winning is a fun way to win.”
Did you know?
Entering play Jan. 30, Paloma Anderson was first in points, assists, steals and field goal percentage, and was also among the conference leaders in free throw percentage.
Even though an 0-11 start meant they didn’t make the AUBC playoffs last spring, the Axewomen ended the regular season as one of the hottest teams in the conference.
It’s been even better so far this season. The Acadia women entered play Jan. 30, leading the conference with a 13-0 regular season record.
While Anderson hasn’t done it all herself, she is leading the AUBC in scoring (averaging 21.8 points per game), as well as assists, steals and field goal percentage.
More importantly, the five-foot-three point guard’s intensity, determination and work ethic are infectious, helping to make the entire team better.
A native of New York City who moved to Arizona in Grade 6, the 21-year-old attended high school and a year of junior college in Phoenix.
“After my first year of junior college,” she says, “I was going to take the year off, but a man contacted the coach in Phoenix and said he could help me get into another junior college in Iowa.”
She made the shift, but, “it didn’t work out.” The same man then put her into contact with Augy Jones at St. F.X.
“I was accepted there, but I wasn’t going to be able to play because their athletic director wouldn’t allow players to come in at mid-season and play,” she said.
She next contacted Acadia head coach Bev Greenlaw.
“Kevin Dickie allowed me to come in mid-season and play right away. I’ve been here ever since.”
Anderson thought about leaving Acadia after Greenlaw retired at the end of last season.
“I was used to moving on, trying the next best thing,” she said.
After meeting with new head coach Len Harvey, she decided to stick it out. Playing in Canada was attractive the sociology student, who hopes to spend four years at Acadia.
“I had a friend at JuCo who came up to Saskatchewan to play. You can play five years up here, so when I had the chance to come to Canada, I took it,” she said.
Passion for the game
Anderson began playing basketball in sixth grade, when she moved to Phoenix.
“I played soccer, too, and was pretty good at it, and I used to run track,” she said. When the schedules started to conflict in high school, she chose basketball.
While Anderson doesn’t necessarily see herself as a team leader, she tries to lead by example.
“The goal should be to become better as a team,” she says.
“You have to ask yourself, do you want to be a #1 player on a poor team, or be part of a group who buys into the system and wants to succeed as a group? I’d always choose the latter. I’m always in the gym, and I’m always willing to help a teammate.”
Anderson’s style of play is unique. It even took the officials a few games to figure her out.
“There’s no secret to my game,” she said. “If there was a secret, I’d love to know it. A lot of it is mental, and the work ethic is huge. You can be intelligent, but without the work ethic, you won’t succeed.”
Even in high school, Anderson was known as a good player.
“I always had a good game. For some reason, here in Canada, I’ve become more consistent. It feels different here. It’s probably part of being more mature,” as a player and as a person, she said.
Record breaker
In a Jan. 20 game against St. F.X., Anderson scored 41 points, a new school record for women’s basketball.
“I never want to be a selfish player,” she said. “I didn’t take any poor shots, or extra shots, only shots I would normally have taken. It was a fun way to score 41, but it’s just as much fun for me to get assists as baskets.”
Anderson is not surprised at all at the Axewomen success so far this season.
“I look at our team, and even without me, there’s lots of depth and balance. That’s so important for a successful team. You don’t go 13-0 because you’re lucky,” she said.
“(We) all have a common goal: to be the best team we can be. I’ve been on winning teams and losing teams. I know how it feels to lose. It’s much nicer to win.”
The closeness of the team is key to that.
“I’m never going to be part of a team that’s as bonded as we are. There’s something different about us. Even when we’re not on the court, we’re all like friends and family,” she said.
“(It’s) a 100 per cent plus that we have the coach we have, you could even take him away and we’d still be the same team.”
She believes the Axewomen can go as far as they want.
“We have the right team, the right coach, and everybody is buying into the system,” she said.
In the space of 48 hours Jan. 20-22, the Axewomen swept both ends of a home-and-home series with St. F.X., winning 97-59 in Anderson’s 41-point game and 88-62.
“It didn’t have anything to do with St. F.X., or how good they are. It’s the team we have,” she said.
“I was telling Allie (Berry) the other day that if I was playing against our team, I’d hate it. Anyone we sub in, there’s no break. Everyone has the same work ethic, and the same amount of energy. Winning like we’re winning is a fun way to win.”
Did you know?
Entering play Jan. 30, Paloma Anderson was first in points, assists, steals and field goal percentage, and was also among the conference leaders in free throw percentage.
