By Travon Mason
Ella Zaborowski photo by Travon Mason
Ella Zaborowski and Sammy Shardo are first-year students and roommates who spend most of their time outside of class playing basketball and training.
The women’s high school’s competed against each other, but they never faced each other on the court, and their goal is to continue to be close and ensure each other’s success in college so they make a difference on the court and in the classroom.
Zaborowski and Shardo are the only freshmen who have seen playing time. Shardo started as a shooting guard. She dropped 17 points against Oberlin College, and she continues to step-up her game. She shot 47.4% from the three-point line, which has helped the women with their 4-0 record. Shardo is 35.9% shooting and 44.4% from behind the three-point line. She has eight rebounds, two assists, four steals and one block. Shardo is averaging 10 points per game through the first four games of her college career.
Sammy Shardo photo by Travon Mason
“I feel like I had a lot of pressure and had to prove something to the upperclassman,” said Shardo. “We all always make sure we give 110% on each side of the ball.”
Zaborowski, also a guard, has helped out by being able to steal the ball for the team to get it back on offense. She stole the ball three times in three games and also has three rebounds for the Beavers. Zaborowski is 50% from the three-point line and has a 25% field goal percentage. She also has one assist in her three games played.
The roommates spend time together at breakfast and dinner, and most of their free time goes to practice every day for three hours.
“We both take turns making sure one another is up for basketball practice or even shoot around,” said Shardo. “I feel like we are very compatible in many ways.”
Shardo and Zaborowski are still adjusting to life as college athletes.
“It’s really hard. Lots of late nights doing homework,” Zaborowski said. “It’s hard trying to balance basketball, school and social life. Playing college ball is a big transition from high school ball … not only with speed but also with expectations.”
The women’s basketball team’s next game is at Mount St. Joseph at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4.
Editor’s note:
An earlier version of this story indicated they players competed against each other in high school when in fact, their high schools competed but Shardo and Zaborowski never actually faced each other. In addition, as of writing of the article, Zaborowski and Shardo were the only two freshmen who had seen playing time. They also played in the third game against Oberlin. The Witmarsum apologizes for the error.
