Bucknell University Athletics
Blizzard Buries All But Creamer's Work Ethic
2/22/2003 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb 21, 2003
AP Sports Writer
CHUCK SCHOFFNER
The snowstorm that buried the East gave Molly Creamer a surprise day off from her classes at Bucknell.
But it wasn't going to keep her from the gym, even if she had to shovel her own path to get there.
Rare is the day when Creamer isn't working on some aspect of her game. Maybe that's why she led the Patriot League in scoring and assists each of the last two years and is No. 1 in both this season. And why she's second nationally in scoring with a 26.7 average.
"I don't know if she's spent a day at Bucknell without working out," coach Kathy Fedorjaka said. "My office used to be right by the fieldhouse and every morning I'd come to work, Molly would be in there shooting.
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"I'm glad I didn't score 1,000 points in high school," Creamer said. "We had such great players and a balanced scoring attack. We won two state
championships. That's what it's all about."
- All-America Candidate Molly Creamer
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"Eight o'clock in the morning or 10 o'clock at night, she's in the gym. It definitely never hurts you as a coach when your program's best player, the league's best player, is your hardest worker. Molly is just a tremendous example. I can always say, hey, look what she's doing. Are you outworking her?"
Creamer has a chance to become just the second Division I player to lead a conference in scoring and assists for three straight years. The only other one to do that is Anja Bordt of St. Mary's in the West Coast Conference from 1988-91.
What's interesting about Creamer is that she wasn't a big scorer in high school. She didn't even score 1,000 points at New Jersey's Mendham High, which went 111-7 during her career.
"I'm glad I didn't score 1,000 points in high school," Creamer said. "We had such great players and a balanced scoring attack. We won two state championships. That's what it's all about."
"I wasn't looked at to be a scorer, but I didn't mind. I got to work on other parts of my game."
At Bucknell, Creamer has put up big numbers against more than just Patriot League competition. The 5-foot-10 senior scored 30 points against West Virginia and had 28 against both Alabama and No. 12 Penn State. Creamer has a career best of 44, a school and Patriot League record which was set on Friday, February 21, 2003.
"You always wonder when you have success in a smaller conference if you'd be able to go against some of the better competition in the bigger conferences," Creamer said. "But Bucknell was the best basketball school recruiting me.
"I'm grateful to be able to come here to play. Wherever you are, you just work as hard as you can to be as good as you can be and help your team to be as good as it can be."
Fedorjaka certainly is glad to have Creamer, who last season led Bucknell to its only NCAA tournament appearance. She has a star who's not only dedicated but humble.
"I've been in this business awhile and she's very unique," Fedorjaka said. "Even with kids that have been team-oriented, she takes it to a whole other level. She gets people to follow her. Her work ethic, her commitment, she's so concerned about her teammates, it just radiates.
"She's done as much as any player can possibly do on that end."
