Few Bison athletes have found as much success as basketball star Claire DeBoer ’17 over the course of her career for the Orange and Blue. As she begins her final season with the Bison, DeBoer has already carried her team to multiple victories with a recent standout performance against Drexel.

Hailing from Grosse Pointe, Mich., DeBoer’s college career was bound for success. Early signs of her talent were obvious as she was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year in the 2013-2014 season, and her accolades have increased significantly since.

That same year, she was selected to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team. After her sophomore year, DeBoer was named to Second Team All Patriot League, a well-earned spot after ranking among her other league competitors in rebounds, field goals, and free throws. In her junior year, DeBoer continued to impress and was named to the First Team All Patriot League and started in every game. Her success in the season was solidified with the scoring of her 1,000th career point, which she netted in a win against Patriot League opponent Colgate. It is clear to see that DeBoer is entering her senior season as no stranger to success.

“I think my role on the court has changed a lot since my freshmen year. As a freshman I was more of a dirty-work and lead by example type of player, however, over the years I think my role has developed by becoming both a well-rounded player and more of a vocal leader,” DeBoer said.

As the team captain this season, DeBoer’s leadership skills are certainly recognized by her teammates.

Though it is easy to attribute her success to individual talent, DeBoer humbly accredited her teammates as well, commenting on the importance of their team dynamic.

“I think we have played extremely well as a team so far, which is definitely a good feeling considering how tough our opponents have been,” DeBoer said.

This same sentiment is echoed in DeBoer’s favorite moments on the court, as she specifically mentioned team victories as being the highlights of her career for the Orange and the Blue.

“So far, my favorite parts of my career include, our post-season win against Akron in the WNIT and also our comeback victory against Lehigh last year,” DeBoer said.

As with any athlete, DeBoer’s campaign for the Bison has not been perfect.

“I think one of the greatest challenges I experienced so far at Bucknell was getting upset in the Patriot League tournament last season. It was especially hard to get over after we had worked so hard to get to that point, however, I thought as a team we did a great job of bouncing back by winning the program’s first ever post-season tournament game,” DeBoer said.

Just as the team bounced back last year, DeBoer looks forward to an even more successful season this year, in hopes of possible future titles to come.

“I’m honestly just looking forward to enjoying my last season with my teammates and making it the best one yet!” DeBoer said.

The women’s basketball team will be back in action on Dec. 3 as they travel to take on Rutgers at 2 p.m.

STATS:

2013/2014- Patriot League Rookie of the Year, Patriot League All-Rookie Team

2014/2015- Second Team All Patriot League

2015/2016- First Team All Patriot League