BRUNSWICK

Basketball is a game of roles — the post player, the sharpshooter, the shot-blocker or the creating guard.

On the Bowdoin women’s basketball team, Kate Kerrigan is the lock down defender. Her coach Adrienne Shibles knows it, her teammates know it, and most importantly, Kate knows it. And that’s exactly why it works.

By the numbers

Kate, a sophomore from Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts, began her defense dominance as a freshman last season, where she started all 30 games for Bowdoin. Aside from shooting over 40 percent from the field and averaging seven points per game on offense, she led the Polar Bears with 65 steals and was named the New England Small College Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

This season, it’s been more of the same for Kate, averaging over 29 minutes per game, and already having 62 steals. In the last three games of the regular season, she pulled in a combined 36 rebounds, and on offense, she’s dished out 103 assists.

In fact, in last weekend’s NCAA Tournament game against Westfield State, she set a Bowdoin NCAA record with 10 helpers in a dominant 75-49 win.

But as Kate will tell you, her favorite part about basketball comes on the other end of the floor.

“I definitely consider myself a defensive-minded player,” she said. “Growing up, I always had defensive minded coaches, and that just means 110 percent on both sides of the court. I’m usually guarding pretty good players and just trying to do my best to keep them in front.”

Embracing the role

Ever since Kate has been on her team, Shibles has had faith in her ability on defense. She’s almost always matched up with the other team’s toughest offensive player, and asked to shut them down as much as she can. Her role has multiple requirements.

On top of having the skill to defend some of the best players in the NESCAC and beyond, Kate has to be fit. She’s not an inside post player that sticks to the paint, and she’s not a sharpshooter that hangs around outside the arc and waits for a shot to open up. She’s a guard that’s needed all over the court — you won’t find a Polar Bear moving around the floor as much as her, and that comes on top of her team-leading minutes.

Next, she’s got to have a certain type of mentality — one that disregards the score or situation and keeps the team lively.

“She brings very positive energy,” Shibles said of Kate. “She never gets her head down. When we’re struggling on the court, whether it’s we can’t buy a basket or the other team has gone on a bit of a run, she’s just a real positive voice and a composed presence for our team. She’s an important leader for our squad.”

But perhaps more important than any of the basketball related attributes is a simple love for the game — more specifically, a love for the art of defense.

“I love the defensive role,” Kate said. “It’s an awesome chance to help your team out, and shutting down another player is always fun and a great challenge. Defense is what a like to do, and what I’m best at.”

There’s no question that defense is her forte, but Kate is far from limited.

In the third quarter of last weekend’s NCAA Sweet 16- clinching win over NYU, Bowdoin saw its lead cut to just seven after a pair of free throws from the visitors. After shrugging off a minor leg injury and coming back into the game, Kate took a pass from teammate Marle Curle and hit a crowd-pleasing 3-pointer that helped ice the game —her only long-range attempt of the night.

“I thought her performance was gritty and tough, just as it always is,” Shibles said. “She’s one of the most mentally tough athletes I’ve had the privilege to coach.”

“My mindset was what it always is: look for the pass, and play good defense,” Kate said. “Going out of the game didn’t change my mindset. When Marle (Curle) passed me the ball I was open, so I shot it and it went in, which is awesome.”

If you need her, she’s there.

“She’s definitely the defensive stopper for our team,” Shibles said.” But beyond that, she’s just that gritty player that’s going to get the big rebound or make the big shot when we need it. She’s not afraid to go hard to the rim, and she’s completely unselfish. She’ll make the big assist or the big steal when we need it.”

Team first

Shibles admits that sometimes, possibly to her own fault, Kate is even “too unselfish.” But at the same time, she knows just how valuable an others-first player is.

“She’s definitely a critical player for our team, so it’s going to be very important that she’s ready to go, which she will be,” Shibles said.

Thankfully for the team, Kate’s leg injury was nothing serious, and she says she “feels 100 percent and is ready to go” ahead of Bowdoin’s NCAA sectional against Rochester. If the injury did sideline Kate, though, she’d simply tell you that her teammates will step up and get the job done.

“Kate would be the first to say that she has a strong supporting cast,” Shibles said. “We have strong leadership throughout our team, and we’re also lucky to have some depth.”

She doesn’t need it often, but Kate noted just how helpful her teammates can be defensively. They use help-defense techniques and essentially provide a security blanket for Kate, who is often defending in isolation at the top of the key.

“Our team has really focused on defense this season,” Kate said. “It’s been a big point for coach to talk about, and I think as a team, we’ve really improved.”

Since January 22, Bowdoin has only let up more than 51 points twice — one coming in the 63-51 NESCAC tournament loss to Amherst that ended the regular season.

Kate’s key to success in the Sweet 16 at Amherst College tonight won’t come as a surprise.

“Defense,” she said. “This (past) weekend, we just held both the teams to a season-low in scoring, That was huge in our success, and if we can do that again, there are few teams that we can’t beat.”