Halloween Practice

The final practice before Halloween saw the coaching staff surprise the players by showing up in costumes...

Coach Whit was Fred Flinstone!

The assistant coaches wore throwback jerseys from many years ago.

Newcomers, Part V: Melissa & Adam

This is the fifth and final installment of our series which introduces the newest faces of The Mount's women's basketball program. We have two new members of the coaching staff this season: Assistant Coach Melissa Kolbe and Director of Operations Adam Surguine.

Melissa Kolbe
I began my journey at The Mount in June.  It has been a whirlwind with recruiting, practice and getting acclimated to the Mount St. Mary’s community, but I have loved every minute of it.

The Mount is the fourth Division I university I have coached at and I am entering my 14th year of coaching at this level.  I came to The Mount from Eastern Kentucky University where I was the recruiting coordinator and most recently worked with the post players.  I was fortunate enough to coach the 4th leading scorer, the leading rebounder & all-time double-doubles leader in program history during my years at EKU.  Prior to EKU, I coached at East Carolina University and was a part of the program’s 2nd ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.  We finished the 2007 season as C-USA Tournament Champions and advanced to the NCAA Tournament where we played National Runner-up Rutgers.  I had a variety of responsibilities while at ECU and worked specifically with the guards.

My Division I experience began at Mercer University and before that my coaching career began while I was a graduate assistant coach at Valdosta State University.  I have worked at a variety of institutions and am looking forward to helping the Mount women’s basketball program continue to grow and become a force not only within the NEC but also regionally.

Adam Surguine
I am beginning my first year at the Mount as Director of Operations.  Originally from Laurel, MD, I have spent the last 8 years in Lancaster, PA, both as a student and as an Assistant Coach at Lancaster Bible College.  My wife Amanda and I have been married since March 2011. She is a physical therapy assistant JVS Rehab in Columbia, and we have a dog named Diesel who always keeps us entertained.  

Cutting down the nets after LBC's NEAC championship.

In my role, I handle administrative work on the team, such as, film exchange, travel, community service and male practice players among many other things.  My job is to help this team run more effectively and more efficiently.  

Me with my wife Amanda, who played basketball at Howard Community College

I am loving my time at the Mount so far.  It is a great university with great people.  This team is tremendous, their work ethic is excellent.  It is truly a family.

Newcomers, Part IV: Jessica, Kathryn and Alexis

This is the fourth installment of our series which introduces the newest faces of The Mount's women's basketball program. Next week, we will be sending the fifth and final part. For now, let's meet Jess, Kat and Lex!

Jessica Harris
     The Mount was the last school that contacted me and soon became the first on my list. I played in a Boo Williams senior showcase hoping to pick up more offers. Within the next week I was on campus. I played a couple games of pick up and took a tour of campus.

     Although I did not have an overnight visit to The Mount, a day visit was enough for me to realize that it was a perfect fit. In my recruiting process, I was looking for a school that not only was close to home but felt like home. The comforting vibe I received from the coaches and players was a major influence. In addition, the campus is beautiful!

Kathryn Thompson
     I come from Winter Park, FL about 900 miles from the Mount. I visited the school during spring break of both my junior and senior years of high school and fell in love with it. The first time I came here there was 8 inches of snow on the ground, so a lot of people question why I left Florida for this. But I love it here! I get the chance to be in a Catholic community, receive a great education, and play basketball. There's not much more I could want.

     I'm extremely grateful for all the love and support of my family to send me here and the opportunity the coaches have given me to play. The constant communication I had with Coach Keys prior to coming to the Mount really helped make me feel comfortable as well. ​

Alexis Carter
            I recently came to the Mount as a transfer from Hofstra University in New York. The schools are different in so many ways, and I can honestly say the Mount was a better fit for me.  I really love the campus and the size of it along with the people. Also, a major difference that benefited me most was the distance between my family and I.

            I am currently a junior majoring in Criminal Justice from Woodbridge, Virginia. I come from a big, loving, and very supportive family. I live with my mother and two younger siblings.  My family has been the biggest influence when it comes to basketball simply because its something that’s been relevant throughout my entire life. So far my experience here at the Mount has been nothing less than great, and I have no doubt that my love for this place will not diminish.

Newcomers, Part III: Kalifa Ducker & Stacey Koutris

We continue with the third part in our "Newcomers" series, introducing the new faces of The Mount women's basketball program. Today, we meet freshmen Kalifa Ducker and Stacey Koutris.

#34 - Kalifa Ducker, Westbury, N.Y.

          I started playing basketball when I was in the second grade. Little did I know what a big impact the game would have on me. When I started playing, I was so bad at ball that nobody passed to me. I was this awkward, lanky, tall girl who never played a sport before in her life. I showed up at my first practice in jeans because neither my mom nor I knew anything about basketball. I wanted to quit, but my mom wouldn’t let me. It’s a good thing she didn’t because I am who I am today because of the game.

          Before my last season of AAU basketball, everybody said I couldn’t go D1. “Your skill set isn’t high enough.” I heard that every day as I trained to take what nobody wanted to give to me. I practiced an hour a day, every day. I went to workouts and put up shots by myself. I learned in those weeks that you can love the game, but it won’t always love you back. I traveled with AAU, and I went to showcases by myself. I wanted a scholarship so bad. All I wanted to do was make sure my mom didn’t need to worry about my college tuition. When The Mount offered me, I had a good feeling that this was my school.

            When I visited The Mount I fell in love with it at first sight. The campus was beautiful, and the coaches were nice. I also really liked my future teammates and the environment I’d eventually become an adult in. The real world can be scary, and I felt like The Mount would eventually help me in becoming the young lady I want myself to be. I also loved the liberal arts portion of The Mount’s curriculum. I aspire to be a doctor one day and I know that The Mount can only put my closer to my dreams.

#13 - Stacey Koutris, Sandy Spring, Md.
          On my recruiting visit at The Mount, I felt very at home. On most recruiting visits the coaches bring you into a small office to talk to you, but at the Mount they brought me to an open, comfortable, lounge area. I felt very at home and contented. All my coaches are amazing and kept in contact with me throughout the whole recruiting process. Being comfortable to talk to a coach about anything is really important to me, so that is definitely a main reason why I chose the Mount. What I liked most on my recruiting visit is how open and honest everyone was about everything.

          I grew up playing basketball my whole life. My brother is two years older than me and I grew up watching him play. He was a big influence in my basketball career because I would look up to him and want to be just like him on the basketball court. My parents also influenced me because they would be there when I needed them to, to either support me off the court and someone to push me when I was on the court, other than my coaches. Being able to have a parent or family member at every one of my games was important to me and they made that happen. Being in college is obviously going to change that, but I know that they will be there when they can.

Newcomers, Part II: Jackie Buzaid

Today, take a few moments to read the background of another freshman, Jackie Buzaid, a walk-on from Lake Grove, N.Y., who earned her place on our team this offseason with a great work ethic and spirit.

My name is Jackie Buzaid.  I am a so excited to be a freshman at the Mount.  I looked at many schools but decided that the Mount was the place for me when I came here in February to compete for a full tuition academic scholarship.  It was on that trip that I fell in love with the school.  I felt at home, everyone was so nice, the campus so beautiful.

I was always interested in sports as a child and played many, but when I was in middle school I narrowed it down to tennis, basketball and track.  In high school, I played and was a captain of my tennis, basketball and track teams. But my true passion was always basketball.

During my 7^th grade middle school basketball season, my ability as a basketball player was beginning to get recognized and my parents were told numerous times that I should join an AAU team and train; they started looking into it when tragedy struck my family.  My dad, a Mount Alum, had an MRI during my last game for my 7^th grade middle school team – he thought he tore his rotator cuff, the results showed a massive cancerous tumor.  After a few weeks and many tests we discovered that he had Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  My families’ focus for the next three years was to get my dad healthy again.  There was no time or energy for AAU Basketball but I was able to train at a local church. That training became my outlet.  In April of 10^th grade I was finally able to join an AAU team.  I tried out for a few and decided that I really wanted to play for Coach Leon Martin.  Thankfully, he took me on his team.  I played one year for him with the Silver Bullets and one year for him with the Long Island Lightning.  During my high school basketball career, I played for Centereach High School.  

When I visited in February I went up to the grotto to say a prayer for my dad and my cousin Nick, also a Mount alum who lost his battle with Leukemia in 2010. I knew that the Mount was the place for me. I am so excited and thankful for the opportunity to play for the Mount.