Not one to sit back

BEVERLY — Playing vs. sitting.

Any basketball player worth their turn-around jumper in the lane, key rebound or timely steal would rather be out on the court, even if they’re not 100 percent healthy, trying to help their team win as opposed to watching the action in a courtside seat.

Gardner’s Emily Pratt is most definitely in the former, rather than the latter, category.

Pratt, a Lawrence Academy graduate, is now a senior at Endicott College. Like last year, Pratt is the Gulls’ leading scorer and rebounder this season, despite having missed the first practices and games of her college career in early December when she was sidelined by a hamstring injury.

“I didn’t do well on the bench,” said Pratt, who is averaging 16.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. “But I think, looking back, it was a well-needed break for me. I felt like I was, not struggling at the beginning of this year, but not being as efficient as I had been. So, having that extended break, just seemed like a good thing because it helped my mindset going forward into conference play.”

Endicott coach Brittany Hutchinson, who sat Pratt down for two games, was not surprised by Pratt’s restlessness when being forced to sit and watch while her teammates played.

“I think most players struggle to sit on the bench; it’s not fun at all and it’s not where they want to be,” said Hutchinson, who played at Eastern Connecticut State and is now in her ninth year as head coach of the Gulls. “I don’t think she was thrilled to sit out; she came in my office every day she missed a practice or a game and told me that she was ready to go.

“In a strange way I think it was helpful for Pratt to just take a breather and take care of her body. She is always throwing herself around out there and putting herself in harm’s way all the time. Pratt almost always takes a serious beating on game day,” said Hutchinson, who always refers to the 2018-2019 Commonwealth Coast Conference Player of the Year as Pratt, never Emily. “So, I think the rest, while necessary because of her injury, was a needed thing, too.”

Hutchinson is convinced Pratt’s period of inactivity has helped her.

“I think seeing a little bit of how the game unfolded in those two games helped Pratt slow down a little,” Hutchinson said. “Her productivity definitely increased when she came back.”

Pratt, a career 1,000-point scorer for the Gulls, said she sees the game differently after her time as a spectator.

“While I was on the bench I gained a new perspective on how to help my teammates from the sideline. I was able to see what coach sees and give advice based off what was happening in the game,” Pratt said. “Missing those two games also reminded me that basketball has been a huge part of my life and it’s something I don’t want to get away from.”

What path to take?

If Pratt decides to pursue one of the career paths she is considering, the view from the bench may become an everyday occurrence.

“I just got accepted into the So You Want To Be A Coach Program, which is run by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association,” Pratt said. “I’ll be going to the Final Four in April and be a participant at their annual convention, where I’m hoping to connect with coaches and do some networking. Hopefully that will help me find a graduate assistant coaching position because one of the career paths I’m considering is going to grad school and getting a graduate assistant coaching position.”

And the other career path?

“I’m going to try and continue my playing career overseas for a little while,” Pratt said. “I don’t know which one I’m leaning to more so I’m going to put all my efforts into both and see what the better option is.”

Hutchinson believes Pratt will — at some point — coach at the college level.

“Pratt and I have spent hours and hours talking about the college game,” Hutchinson said. “She is in my office all the time and we’re always trying to scheme and figure out how we can get more out of certain players and the team in general. I love her emotion and passion because that’s the type of person I am.”

While Pratt is considered a mentor to many of her teammates, she said she hasn’t specifically mentored any one teammate or group of teammates.

“I try to give in-game and in-practice pointers to help all of my teammates through their adversity. Ultimately, I try to demonstrate the amount of work and dedication it takes to play basketball,” Pratt said. “Nothing is given, and nothing will be handed to you. You must put in the hours in the offseason to get yourself where you want to be. That’s something I try to reiterate to my teammates.”

Team hitting its stride

With the 5-foot-8 Pratt leading the way, Endicott has powered its way to an 11-9 overall record and an 8-3 mark in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play. Endicott won its third straight game and sixth of its last seven on Saturday, defeating Gordon, 69-68. Pratt scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the victory.

Pratt said, despite some ups and downs, she thinks the season has gone well so far for the Gulls.

“After losing in the conference championship game last year, I think as a team we expected to hit the ground running this year. But we had a tough non-conference schedule so we didn’t rack up as many wins early as we hoped we would,” Pratt said. “We knew ahead of time that those non-conference games were going to be tough, but we also knew we had to battle through them because they were ultimately going to help us get better for conference play.

“We have three losses in the conference right now and I think, ultimately, those non-conference games helped us prepare for conference play. We didn’t get a lot of wins in our non-conference schedule but we’re picking up wins now in our conference schedule and that’s all that matters,” Pratt said. “Now we just have to emphasize that it doesn’t matter what we did or didn’t do, it’s what we do going forward. We need to take every game seriously from here on out to make sure we are a high seed in the conference tournament because the playoffs are a whole new season.”

Hutchinson said Pratt’s work ethic, drive and competitiveness is what sets her apart from other basketball players.

“Pratt is fiercely competitive, one of the most competitive kids that I have coached here,” Hutchinson said. “She is always in the gym. She’s an incredibly hard worker. She really wants to win. She has such a fire burning inside of her. She is competitive with herself; she has a winner’s mentality and she is very physical.”

As the oldest of Bonnie Pratt’s six children, Emily Pratt credited her upbringing for her competitive streak.

“I’ve always been super competitive; competition was always a big thing in our house when I was growing up,” said Pratt, who explained that Hutchinson is competitive, too. “Having (Hutchinson) as a coach and looking up to her and knowing that she wants to win as much as I do, that definitely helps.”

St. Thomas having an impact

Emily St. Thomas, who won a Central Mass. title last year as a member of the Monty Tech Bulldogs, also plays for the Gulls. St. Thomas, who has played in 17 games for Endicott this year, is averaging 5.1 points a game for Hutchinson.

“I absolutely love having her on the team,” Hutchinson said about St. Thomas. “I’m so thrilled that she decided to come to Endicott. She is still adjusting to the speed of the college game, but the greatest thing about her is that she is a natural scorer. She has such a feel for the ball and a feel for the basket.”

Athletic Awards

· 2019-20 CCC Player of the Week (1/21/20)

· 2018-19 NEWBA All-Region Third Team

· 2018-19 D3hoops.com All-Northeast Region Third Team

· 2018-19 CCC Player of the Year

· 2018-19 CCC All-Conference First Team

· 2018-19 CCC Player of the Week (12/3/18, 12/17/18, 1/22/19)

· 2017-18 All-CCC Second Team

· 2016-17 CCC Rookie of the Week (01/09/17, 1/17/17, 02/06/17, 02/20/17)

· 2016-17 NEPSAC All-Star

· 2016-17 ISL All-League

Academic Awards

· 2018-19 CCC Academic All-Conference

· 2017-18 CCC Academic All-Conference

· 2016-17 Dean's List Recipient

Emily Pratt's Career Accomplishments at Endicott College