When Emma Thomson of York walked off the floor as a state champion in February at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, she thought her competitive basketball days were over.
Fortunately, for Thomson and for Fitchburg State University, that changed when she was urged to attend tryouts for the Division III Falcons this past fall.
Not only did Thomson make the team, but she has started in all six games and is tied for first in the nation in 3-point field goals made (27) and 3-point field goals per game (4.50). She also is eighth in 3-point field goals attempted (61).
“Honestly, it’s just a totally different style of play. It’s so good for me,” Thomson said Monday before practice. “The offense is getting the ball into the post and then kicking it out; there are a lot of plays designed for outside shooting.”
Thomson literally shot her way up the 3-point leaderboard when she connected on 11-of-16 from beyond the arc and scored 33 points in 27 minutes in Fitchburg State’s 80-62 win over Anna Maria in the fifth game of the season.
Thomson was 5-for-8 from 3-point territory in the first half and was 6-for-8 over the game’s final 20 minutes.
“I didn’t realize I had that many in the first half,” Thomson said. “And the second half, I was like if they’re not going to cover me, I am going to keep shooting, and coach [Dan Nagle] never says don’t shoot the ball. You have the green light all the time. So, I was going to keep shooting.”
Thomson was surprised by the influx of people reaching out to her after the game, which included her former York High School teammates.
“It was nice, it made me realize how many people really care,” she said. “Basically, the whole team from last year reached out, that was awesome. I love them all.”
Thomson entered Tuesday night’s home game against Mount Ida averaging 14.7 points per game, good for third highest on the team.
“[Thomson] is a big part of our team,” first-year Fitchburg State coach Nagle said. “She’s pivotal with our style of play, and she had a great night [against Anna Maria].”
Thomson has scored in double figures in four of Fitchburg State’s first six games, including four consecutive games at one point. She scored 19 in an 89-81 win over St. Joseph’s (Connecticut) and had 12-point games in losses to Wellesley (58-57) and UMass-Boston (81-75).
“Watching some tape on her from last year, we knew she was a great shooter, and that has proven to be true,” Nagle said. “We knew she would be good. Not only can she catch the ball and shoot, she is good at using screens and has a quick shot and is a dynamic scorer. She’s a great kid, and we are so thrilled, excited and fortunate to have her.”
Nagle and his coaching staff liked what they saw in Thomson from the first day of practice.
“We knew right then she’d be a big part of our team. We penciled her in as a starter right from Day 1,” Nagle said. “She fits in extremely well with us. She’s the best shooter I’ve ever coached, and it’s not even close.”
Thomson first walked onto the Fitchburg State campus in late August, content on focusing on school and maybe playing intramural basketball.
“I’d been playing basketball my whole life, and I felt kind of burned out, but coach [Nagle] convinced me his style of play was so good for me,” Thomson said. “Overall, he is a really great coach and really cares and works on improving all his players.”
Thomson scored just a 3-pointer in York’s 66-56 win over Greely in last year’s Class A South championship game, and then was held scoreless in the team’s 58-57 state championship win over Lawrence.
“I was fairly convinced when I came to school I was not playing basketball,” Thomson said. “I ended up talking to a couple of players, and they were telling me the commitment wasn’t that straining, and practices were only like two hours a day, and that’s basically what it is in high school.
“Coach is super enthusiastic and convinced me to go to preseason and give it a shot,” she said.
The Falcons had more than 20 girls try out for the team.
“I still wasn’t that confident it would end up the way I wanted,” Thomson said. “Then when I made the team, I was like, ‘OK, here we go again.’”
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