The Emerson women’s basketball team came together on Feb. 12 for a cause that went beyond the court. Before facing the WPI Engineers, the Lions hosted the third annual Mental Health Matters game aimed at providing awareness and resources for athletes’ mental well-being.
“It feels great [to host the event],” graduate forward Charlotte Levison said. “The more awareness for mental health, the better. Especially in college, we all know it’s stressful, so having things like this brings people together.”
“I think it’s a pretty positive impact, it’s fun,” first-year guard Jessie Silk said. “We get to come together and play for a cause that I think we all believe in.”
The Mental Health Matters tradition began in 2023 as an initiative by women’s basketball guard Ava Salti ’24. Emerson basketball partnered with Doc Wayne Youth Services, a Boston-based organization that assists student-athletes with mental health resources and sport-based therapy. Last year, the teams sold Mental Health Matters shirts, where $10 from every purchase went towards Doc Wayne Youth Services.
This season, the Athletics Department partnered with the Emerson Wellness Center for a slew of events from Feb. 10-12, including the Self-Care Fair on Wednesday and the “Duck Dash”—an opportunity to collect rubber ducks across campus and turn them in for prizes, which were raffled off at halftime.
A December 2023 survey of over 23,000 NCAA athletes found that 70% of collegiate athletes reported knowing “where to go on campus and having people on campus they can trust to provide mental health support when needed.” However, only 50% said they would feel comfortable reaching out to mental health providers on their campuses. Additionally, 67% of women’s sports participants said they wish coaches and administrators would increase discussion around mental well-being, and 42% of men’s sports participants echoed the same sentiment.
Levison believes conversations around mental health can be enhanced starting in high school, in order to help student-athletes become more open and erase the stigma around mental health.
“We have to be truthful to ourselves and with others and say if we need help or not,” she added. “There’s no shame in that.”
“Having the right mindset while playing sports is really important and [can] really help your performance,” Silk added. “Not being afraid to talk to people and get help is important.”
The Engineers and Lions began the game with a back-and-forth effort before WPI controlled most of the first half. A two-point WPI advantage became seven with a minute remaining. Frongillo spun to the basket for a layup with 35 seconds left, bringing the score to 33-28 at the break.
The Engineers scored six unanswered points to take a 39-28 lead with 7:23 remaining in the third quarter. The Lions responded with a 7-0 run to get back within four, but couldn’t cut the deficit further with missed baskets and turnovers. With under four minutes left, the Engineers scored on three consecutive trips down the court, bringing the deficit back to ten. WPI drained a three to beat the buzzer and led 50-37 heading into the final frame.
Levison opened the fourth quarter with a three-point play 15 seconds in. A steal by sophomore center Claire English led to a layup by junior guard Bri Frongillo, cutting WPI’s lead to eight with 9:22 left. The Engineers scored inside twice, leading 54-42 with eight minutes left. Both teams then went cold for the next three minutes, a streak only broken by a Levison steal and layup with 4:27 remaining.
The Lions then roared back to life with a 10-0 run, encapsulated by threes by Frongillo and sophomore guard Kendra Dodd and layups by sophomore guard Kaylin O’Meara, including one to make it a two-point game with two minutes left. After WPI scored at the basket, Silk swished two free throws to keep the Lions within two, 56-54, with 1:21 left. Silk stole the ball moments later and set Emerson up under their own baseline, but committed an offensive foul with 32 seconds left. A raucous Emerson crowd made the Engineers miss a free throw with 28 seconds left, before they made the second for a 57-54 lead. Frongillo spun to the hoop for a layup at the 20-second mark.
The Engineers missed both free throws seconds later. Frongillo missed a layup before English grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled with 11 seconds left. She hit one of two from the stripe, tying the game at 57. The Engineers raced down in the final seconds, hoping to silence Emerson’s supporters. The crowd erupted as Levison blocked the Engineers’ last attempt, sending the game into overtime.
Frongillo and Silk scored at the rim to give Emerson a 61-57 lead with under four minutes left in the extra period. The Engineers made one of two at the line and hit a layup to make it a one-point game with less than three minutes left. After Frongillo missed a pair of free throws, the Engineers took their time and converted an easy bucket with 10 seconds left. Frongillo drove in for the game-winning attempt before missing a layup, as spectators and coaches believed she was fouled on the play. After the Engineers made one of two from the line with nearly three seconds left, Dodd committed a turnover as she went for the game-winning three. The Lions fell to the Engineers, 63-61.
Frongillo led the Lions with 22 points, two blocks, a rebound, and an assist, while Silk recorded 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Levison rounded out Emerson’s top three scorers with eight points, eight rebounds, four blocks and three assists.
Despite the result, Levison hopes attendees recognized the need to come together for an important cause.
“These events bring people together, and I think that helps people’s mental health—whether they know it or not,” she said. “Come together and be open.”
“It’s important to not get too high on the highs and not get too low on the lows,” Silk added. “We’ll bounce back from this.”
The Lions return to Hank Smith Court to face the Wheaton College Lyons on Feb. 15 at 3:30 p.m.
