First Posted: 1/19/2015
DALLAS — She got one more chance. That’s all Lauren Smicherko needed.
A fifth-year senior on Misericordia University’s women’s basketball team, Smicherko is making her last season as a college athlete worth every second.
A 2010 Pittston Area graduate and Old Forge native has returned from a severe injury in her senior season to turn in another impressive campaign in her fifth year.
Following a breakout junior season, Smicherko was primed to finish her career with the Cougars on a high note. However, after just eight games, Smicherko was injured and forced to missed the rest of the season.
She was granted a fifth year of athletic eligibility because she didn’t play in the NCAA-required 1/3 of the team’s games.
“That was really hard for me,” she said. “It was my senior season and we were expecting to be a good team. Once that happened, I had to take on more of a leadership role. In previous years, I would lead by example on the court. Now, I had to do a lot more emotional leading and leading by words. That was really hard.”
This, her fifth year, is going off without a hitch.
“I think things are going better for me now then they were when I first started,” she said. “Getting over the hump of getting back from such a severe injury was tough. But once I let go of those thoughts and went out there, things just fell into place.”
Misericordia coach Allison Kern was impressed with the way Smicherko handled last year’s injury.
“It wasn’t easy for her to watch last season from the bench,” Kern said. “I think it helped in teams of understanding the game and making her a more mature leader. If anything, it made her hungrier.”
Smicherko started last season averaging a team-best 12.8 points per game and 2.4 assists. This season, she’s picked up right where she left off.
The primary point guard for the Cougars, Smicherko is the team’s catalyst and her numbers show it. She is averaging 12.2 points each contest, the best on the team. She’s also leading the Cougars in assists and steals and is second on the team in rebounding.
“She’s definitely taken over for us,” Kern said. “She’s kind of put herself in her own class in terms of leadership and expectations. There’s not anyone that plays with more urgency than Lauren.”
This season hasn’t been the easiest, team-wise, for the Cougars. Misericordia has yet to find its first win of the season and sits at 0-15 overall. It’s especially difficult because the Cougars are so young; however, that win might come soon.
Smicherko is 23 years old, while some of her teammates are just out of high school. That makes it tough, but the senior point guard continues to lead by example.
“I try and take my past experience and knowledge and share it with them,” she said. “I’ve been in their shoes before. I try to make it as easy for them as possible.”
The Cougars have lost four games by five points or less this season. Misericordia is 0-4 in the Middle Atlantic Conference.
“We’ve had a lot of close games,” Kern said. “We’re trying to put the puzzle pieces together. We’re a very young team and their expectations are getting higher.”
Although the team hasn’t found much success, Smicherko has. She currently ranks 20th in the conference in points per game. Her defense is quite impressive as well. Smicherko is ranked ninth in the conference with 2.3 steals per game. She’s 46th in the conference in rebounds and is doing that as a 5-4 guard.
But she’s automatic from the charity stripe.
Smicherko leads all conference players in free throw percentage. She’s hit 61 out of 75, which is good for more than 81 percent. A lot of that credit goes back to her grandfather, Joe Smicherko, of Old Forge.
“He was a big sports guy back in his day,” she said. “He’s seen me progress throughout my career and has a lot of great insight and motivates me.” Her grandfather calls her with quotes for encouragement.
Smicherko broke out for the Cougars during her junior season. After averaging less than three points per game as a freshman and sophomore, she started 24 games her junior year and earned All-Freedom Conference Honorable Mention honors after averaging 13.6 points and 5.9 rebounds in just under 33 minutes per game. She also led the Freedom Conference in free throw percentage.
That year, she led the Cougars in scoring, rebounding assists and steals.
Smicherko earned four varsity letters in basketball and soccer. She began her high school career at Seton Catholic before the school closed and played her final three varsity seasons at Pittston Area.
She was named the Wyoming Valley Conference Player of the Year by Division 1 coaches in 2010, averaging 20.6 points per game. She was a three-year starter at Pittston Area and finished her career with 1,385 points.
Smicherko is the daughter of Donna Kupetz, of Old Forge, and Jack Brady, of Exton. Initially, she planned to go to Misericordia for just four years and earn her bachelor’s degree. Instead, she’s working on her master’s degree in organizational management.
