O’Reilly’s senior leadership fuels Hawks

There are many details that the average spectator might notice at a Lehigh women’s basketball game. Coach Sue Troyan’s serene nature on the sideline may be

Katie O’Reilly, ’15, is currently third on the team, averaging 11.6 points per game. Katie finished as the team’s second leading scorer and was also named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. (Chester Toye/B&W photo)

one. Coach Glenn Rigney’s occasional tirades may be another. But on the court, senior wing player Katie O’Reilly stands out for her quirky, often angry murmurings, in which she chastises herself after a recent play or missed free throw.

“A lot of the time it’s just me cursing under my breath, I don’t even notice I do it,” O’Reilly said with a laugh. “I get that a lot. I make a lot of weird faces when I’m out there, it’s pretty embarrassing.”

Quirky murmurings aside, O’Reilly has worked tirelessly for the Mountain Hawks as a four-year starter for Troyan. She currently stands at 975 points, which puts her 25 away from 1,000.

“We are extremely excited for her to reach that milestone,” said senior guard Sarah Williams. “It’s a huge accomplishment and Katie deserves it.”

O’Reilly, Lehigh’s third highest scorer this season at 11.6 points per game, has seen her scoring improve this season thanks to an offensive shakeup from the coaching staff and players. This is her highest points per game for a season in her career, and her ability to score and defend on the perimeter has been a huge asset for the Mountain Hawks this season. O’Reilly showed her defensive prowess on Saturday against Loyola (Maryland), where she tallied eight steals.

With a new offense that thrives on the Mountain Hawks’ ability to space the floor and with agile forwards in sophomore Lexi Martins and junior Kerry Kinek, O’Reilly has been able to use her athleticism to take the ball to the basket more efficiently. The floor spacing plays towards her strengths as a driver rather than a shooter. O’Reilly’s field goal percentage of 46 percent is also evidence of her offensive surge this season.

“Our post players don’t clog the lane so it just creates a lot of open space out there on the floor,” O’Reilly said. “We can play four out and it just opens up more options on offense and it’s been nice to take advantage of that.”

Lehigh’s offense as a whole is benefiting from the up-tempo, free-flowing style that the coaching staff has employed. The Mountain Hawks are scoring 71.8 points per game, their highest number in several seasons.

Troyan, who recruited O’Reilly to Lehigh four years ago, highlighted her high basketball IQ, work ethic, athleticism and innate competitive nature as what sets her apart. Troyan said that while she has always been extremely competitive, each facet of O’Reilly’s game, including an improved perimeter jump shot, is finally starting to come together as a senior.

As one of just two Mountain Hawk seniors on the team, O’Reilly has also embraced her responsibility to be a leader. While she can be shy and introverted off the court, O’Reilly’s leadership, both vocally and by example, is praised by coaches and players.

“Our young players look to Katie in critical moments and the team gravitates towards her,” Troyan said.

O’Reilly’s teammates echo Troyan’s praise of her on-court leadership.

“When an opportunity to help the team presents itself, she is never afraid to be vocal about it,” Williams said.

O’Reilly’s experience as a four-year starter and consistent contributor has allowed her to draw on that experience to lead the Mountain Hawks through whatever they face on and off the floor.

“My experience has helped me to deal with bad situations and to stay calm,” O’Reilly said. “No matter what’s going on out there, I’ll just look at Sarah (Williams) and the rest of the team and say ‘we got this.’”

After graduating, O’Reilly will be working at The Linde Group, an industrial gas company in her native New Jersey. Although most Lehigh seniors are fretting over finding a job, O’Reilly will be able to truly enjoy her final months as a college student athlete. A supply chain management major at Lehigh, O’Reilly has said that her experience in the classroom at Lehigh has prepared her for success in her life after basketball. She has excelled in the classroom as well as on the floor, which is evidenced by her place on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll with a 3.41 grade point average a season ago.

However, through all of O’Reillys success, her illustrious Lehigh career is missing one thing: a Patriot League championship. With the Mountain Hawks currently in third place in the league and two games behind league-leading American University, they still have a chance to gain home court advantage as the postseason and league tournament nears.

During O’Reilly’s freshman year, the Mountain Hawks were bounced in the semifinal round when they lost to Navy. O’Reilly and the rest of the Mountain Hawks are going to do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn’t happen this year.

“Seniors are important to the team because they carry that sense of urgency, “ Troyan said. “Katie knows that there are a finite number of games left and she brings that competitive nature and will to win to every game. To be able to send Katie out on a high note would be a tribute to the leadership that herself and Sarah have brought to the program.”

O’Reilly is a constant force on the court for Lehigh. It is impossible not to notice her, for more reasons than because of her quirky antics. Whether it’s grabbing rebounds, scoring or defending her man, everything she does will be at full tilt as she chases a league championship and NCAA tournament appearance.

“That’s the goal every year, to win the league,” she said. “It would be very special to be able to do that in my last season.”