Bridgewater State’s Jenna Williamson scored her 1,000th point against Rhode Island College, which is coached by her sister, Kara Williamson. Photo courtesy of Bridgewater State athletics.

Of course Jenna Williamson’s family would be in attendance when she notched her 1,000th career point. But while it appeared inevitable that the Bridgewater State senior guard would reach the milestone, her own sister did everything she could to prevent it.

There was nothing malicious about it, though. Kara Williamson of Rhode Island College was the opposing coach that night and had her eyes set on shutting down Jenna’s long range shooting abilities and Bridgewater State’s fast-break offense.

Jenna did eclipse the 1,000-point mark on Nov. 26, scoring 11 points in the Bears eventual loss to Rhode Island. She said reaching the lofty scoring mark was exciting in its own right, but to hit it with her sister on the opposing bench made for an even more special occasion.

“It was awesome the way it lined up like that and that she got to see it,” Jenna Williamson said. “Throughout the four years I never really expected to get 1,000. It just happened.”

Along with her sister on the other side of the gym, the Williamson family contingent also included middle sister Megan (a former Bridgewater State soccer player), both parents and two uncles. Because Kara and Jenna are about nine and a half years apart in age, Kara said they never had an opportunity to play with or against each other.

As the older sister, Kara said she grew up as Jenna’s biggest fan, watching her eclipse 1,000 points in high school and develop into an excellent tennis player. Though the November game was the second time she faced her sister as coach of RIC, it was still a strange experience to try to get Jenna off her game.

“It’s definitely a weird thing; coaching against someone that you grew up with and care about so much on a personal level,” Kara Williamson said. “To see her get that and achieve that in the game is hard to explain, but it’s something really special to have been a part of.”

In the sisters’ first match up last year, Kara said she was able to stifle Jenna’s playmaking abilities by taking away her shooting opportunities and keeping tight pressure on her whenever she held the ball. The younger Williamson was held to just four points in that game on 2-for-10 shooting. It was a rare off night for Jenna, and while it has been strange to try to defeat her sister, Kara said it has been a great experience to watch her develop from an opposing coach’s point of view.

“This year she knew it was coming and knew I was going to have someone right in her face the whole time,” Kara Williamson said. “She was mentally prepared for it and took it in stride. To see her mature as a player and get it was pretty cool as well.”

Though Jenna has been a consistent scoring spark for the Bears, she said all four teams she has played for have been packed with other top offensive players. Shelly DePina topped 1,000 points in 2012 and Michaela Cosby joined the club last year. On this year’s squad, Megan Boutilette and Elisha Homich have each scored more than 800 points.

Williamson said being a part of a succession of high-powered offenses has been a plus for her own game because she knows that if her shots aren’t falling, a teammate will have her back on any given night.

“It’s crazy in the four years I’ve been here, how many people have and can get [1,000 points,]” she said. “We’re all scorers, if one of us isn’t scoring in a game, the other one is.”

While she’s learned to rely on her teammates on the basketball court, Williamson said during the fall season, she enjoys competing on a more individual basis. As Bridgewater State’s first singles tennis player, Williamson takes a much more solitary approach in her other sport.

Though college tennis is scored as a team and Williamson does also play doubles, she said she likes the change of pace the individual aspect of singles tennis provides.

“For tennis, I definitely like the singles play a lot,” she said. “I like that if something goes wrong, I’m blaming myself and if something goes right, I know I accomplished it. At the same time in doubles, it’s good to know someone has your back just like in basketball.”

And just like basketball, Williamson is dominant on the tennis court. During the fall season, she lost her first singles match before winning out the rest of the way, with 12 straight victories.

Williamson said she likes the quick transition from her fall athletics to winter. And with the tennis team again winning the Little East championship, it will compete in the NCAA tournament in the spring. It’s a hectic schedule, playing a sport in all three seasons, but Williamson said she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love it,” she said. “I like staying busy so it doesn’t really affect me much. I know a lot of people that would be overwhelmed and don’t like doing stuff all the time, but I think it works out better for me the way I am. I like being busy and having stuff to do.”

More milestones

Already the school’s leader in career wins, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts head coach Holly McGovern notched her 100th win, according to the school’s athletics website. The win came on Nov. 26 in a 60-53 win over Becker College. The Trailblazers stand at 2-3 with MASCAC play looming in January.

There were a couple more Massachusetts milestones in the Little East, with UMass Dartmouth senior forward Erika Bornemann reaching the 1,000-point plateau in the team’s Nov. 26 win against Salve Regina. At UMass Boston, men’s head coach Charlie Titus became the 71st Division III men’s coach to reach 300 wins, according to the school’s website. The Beacons defeated St. Joseph’s on Nov. 29 to put Titus in elite company.

Ephs catch fire

After a shocking loss to Southern Vermont to begin the season, the No. 10 Williams College men’s team has rattled off five consecutive convincing wins. All of the Ephs wins this season have been by double digit margins, including a 31 point win over Curry and a 35 point win over MCLA. Junior guard Daniel Wohl is averaging more than 19 points per game and is coming off a 23-point performance against MCLA.

The new year will feature a tough stretch for Williams, kicking off on Jan. 2 against No. 8 Hampden-Sydney and the much anticipated Jan. 11 bout with No.1 Amherst.

Watch out for Wes

With Amherst, Tufts and Williams to contend with in the NESCAC, climbing the ranks could be a challenge for the Wesleyan University women’s team. But, the Cardinals have turned some heads early on with a 6-1 record. Wesleyan has spread the ball around, with Kaylie Williams and KellyAnn Rooney each averaging approximately 10 points per game and Amber Wessells and Dreisen Heath each averaging more than eight.

The Cardinals will face their toughest test when they travel to Williams for a Saturday, Dec. 7 game.

Contact me

Do you know of any good stories around the east and northeast? Please send any story ideas, whether they are player or coach milestones, an interesting feature or anything else of interest to the D-III world to cory.francer@d3sports.com.