Co-captain Bethany Tighe has won 20 or more games in every season since arriving on campus in 2005-06.

Brockton Enterprise: Tighe Game A Winner On Skyhawks' Court

By Jim Fenton, Enterprise Staff Writer

EASTON - Bethany Tighe can clearly recall her first few days as a student at Stonehill College in the fall of 2005.

"It actually seems like it was yesterday,'' said the Easton resident and Stonehill senior. "I can remember coming in the first day and being terrified, and then after a couple of days, just loving it.

"It really worked out. It's really been a great four years. I can't even believe (it's almost over).''

For Tighe, her experience with the Skyhawks' women's basketball program unfolded in much the same way - terrified at first, then a quick adjustment process, followed by a memorable four years.

The forward and co-captain is entering the final stage of her Stonehill basketball career with the Skyhawks gearing up for next week's Northeast-10 Conference tournament, then, most likely, the NCAA Div. 2 tourney.

Tighe, a three-time Enterprise All-Scholastic when she was at Oliver Ames High, has been an integral part of Stonehill's success as a starter the last two seasons with the Skyhawks going 47-12 over than span.

After getting few minutes as a freshman and averaging 19 minutes off the bench as a sophomore, Tighe has taken full advantage of her role as a main player for Stonehill.

"She's a classic case of someone who just improved every year,'' said Skyhawks coach Trisha Brown. "I knew when she got here that she was a player with a lot of potential and that we had a really good player.

"I didn't think that she'd turn out to be such a strong player. It's her competitiveness and work ethic. Every day in practice, she gives the same amount of effort.''

Tighe, who is averaging 13.7 points and 8.4 rebounds this season to rank 15th and seventh in the NE-10, played only 171 minutes in 20 games as a freshman. She knew all about the transition from high school to college after watching brother Chris play basketball at Suffolk University and sister Kristin play field hockey at Bryant University.

"It makes you want to work harder when you're not playing,'' said Tighe, who is shooting 48 percent from the field. "You have to practice how you play, and I kept that philosophy with me ever since that year.''

Tighe switched from guard to forward as a sophomore in 2006-07 when she averaged 6.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 30 games. Tighe contributed 15 points on 7 of 11 shooting against Merrimack and added 10 points and six rebounds against Bentley in NE-10 tourney games.

Last season, Tighe assumed more of a leadership role when Stonehill went 27-5 and won the NE-10 regular-season and tournament championships. She averaged 10.5 points and 7.6 rebounds, becoming a consistent player in both departments.

"I think it's more about confidence,'' she said. "I was feeling a lot more comfortable. That was the hardest I had worked in the offseason. Knowing we had a chance to have a really good team was added incentive.''

Tighe's numbers have gone up this season, especially this month after fellow co-captain Kelsey Simonds of Middleboro, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, left the lineup due to a broken hand.

In the first six games of February, Tighe had three double-doubles and averaged 16 points and 9.3 rebounds.

"She's undersized in the post (at 5-foot-10), but she's got a toughness and she finds a way to get it done,'' said Brown of the health care administration major. "She's really developed into a good post player with her back to the basket.''

Said Tighe: "I've really gotten a lot better here. I kind of get it more. I've learned so much here. I always thought there was only one way to defend a ball screen, but we've got four or five different ways to do it.''

Depending on how far Stonehill advances in the postseason, Tighe has a chance to reach the 1,000-point mark, just like she did at Oliver Ames. Tighe has 952 points, getting all but 248 of them the past two seasons.

"Obviously, that's a big accomplishment,'' she said, "but it's not in the front of my head. I think everybody here has got that focus that we can win something, and that's what is most important right now. It was a great feeling to cut down those nets last year.''