BRUNSWICK — To see Samantha Roy away from the basketball court, one might not realize how special of a student/athlete from Stafford Springs, Connecticut, she has become.

Off the basketball court at Bowdoin College, the junior neuroscience major, with an art minor, recently completed an exceptional project fans can view on YouTube called “Accidental Photographs: Taking Ownership of Chance.”

Recently, Sam has become interested in all things black and white still photography, from taking the photographs, going into the dark room, developing, enlarging and coming up with a finished project.

Another thing Sam has been doing in her “spare” time away from the classroom and her busy studies is shining on the basketball court for the Polar Bears, who are in action in tonight’s opening round of the NCAA Division III women’s basketball tournament inside Morrell Gymnasium against Hunter College at 7 p.m.

This season has seen big steps from this Bowdoin guard, who has started all 27 of her team’s games, helping the Polar Bears to a 26-1 record and the No. 2 ranking in the nation.

The daughter of Steve and Elisa, Sam has stepped into the role once occupied by Taylor Choate, who manned the point guard spot to open things up for all-world Polar Bear Kate Kerrigan, who led Bowdoin to the Division III national championship last year before graduating.

Standing 5-foot-3, Sam plays much bigger than her diminutive height.

“I always think that I’m bigger than I am. I have always been a point guard because of my height, and some college coaches didn’t recruit me because of this. But at Bowdoin I have a coach who doesn’t worry about that. All she wants is hard work. It’s not the size of the dog but the fight in the dog. I have a lot of fight in me.”

“She has done exceptionally well as a player and leader this year,” said Bowdoin coach Adrienne Shibles of Sam, who has put up 9.6 points a game this year along with averaging 3.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals a contest. “She has filled a key defensive role and allowed us to move Taylor back to her shooting guard position after playing point guard last year for the first time.

“Sam is fearless and is not afraid to go to the rim against much bigger players. She really knows how to manage her time. Her project brought tears to my eyes. She has really come into her own.”

On the court

From the first time Sam stepped onto the Morrell Gymnasium court, she was confident. But, like most college freshmen, she had a lot to learn. She had to find her role in Shibles’ system, which calls for all 14 of the Polar Bears to be ready to step onto the court, to do their jobs, whether that is for two minutes or 30.

“Our team, no matter how many minutes you play, we have standards of accountability. I am proud of that. It doesn’t matter to any of us if we are a top player or someone who comes off the bench. I have my team, and we know if we all do our jobs that we will be a top team in the nation year-in and year-out. We highlight each other, and we don’t need to hear from the outside how many minutes that we played each game. We care for one another like a family.

“Putting on a Bowdoin jersey is something I am proud of.”

After last season’s national championship game, Shibles took Sam to the side.

“This summer Sam became really, really fit, and she worked hard to get faster and go longer,” Shibles said. “I believe she is the only one on this year’s team that could play the entire 40 minutes of a game. She has settled into being a floor general and has great tactical awareness. Her defensive game has improved 10-fold, and in our system, that is really important.”

Sam brings a truckload of skill into each game. When she drives the lane and brings the defense to her, Sam has the ability to either pass outside to a teammate for an open three, dish to a “big” for an easy layup, or simply finish the play herself. Give Sam an open look from beyond the arc, and you will pay. Sam can hit from anywhere, and often does.

“I went into the summer knowing that Kate was leaving. I wanted to be in the best shape possible, and I know that I would have regretted not being in shape and ready to go at the start of the season. It was my focus. I know that I can hit the 3-pointer at any time, but I wanted to be better at everything. 

“I have always been a point guard because of my height. My job is to get Abby (Kelly) the ball for a shot, to get Maddie (Hasson) the best shot possible. My job is to provide the talent around me with the best chances to succeed.”

Sam has learned from the best leaders that Bowdoin has to offer. Student/athletes like Marle Curle (2017), Sydney Hancock (2017), Rachel Norton (2017), Lydia Caputi (2018), Lauren Petit (2018) and Kerrigan (2018) certainly laid the groundwork for success, showing what a Bowdoin College women’s basketball player and team is all about.

This year, captains Hannah Graham, Choate and Kelly have continued the tradition of solid Bowdoin leadership.

“It is amazing how every year our senior leaders have been everything that they have needed to be. Not only were they great basketball players and teammates, but they are great people. Over my three years, it is 14 of us each season that are so close. We root for each other, and we make sure that we are accountable while trusting one another. I want to win for us, for the alumni, for the fans. It is a special place here.”

Tough loss

The NESCAC championship game against Tufts at home certainly didn’t go the way Sam and her emotional teammates wanted it to go as the Jumbos, the No. 3 seed, handed the Polar Bears their first loss of the season, 75-69.

It was one of the few times this year that turnovers and missed opportunities went against Shibles’ team.

This week, the Polar Bears sat through a tough film session, then proceeded to partake in intense practices, working on the things that went wrong.

“It was definitely tough. We put ourselves in a great position to win the NESCAC title, and we just didn’t get it done. We wanted that banner for us and for the alumni. However, we are lucky to still be playing more basketball this year, at home, in front of our fans. We are focused.”

As for the Bowdoin fans … “I can not express how grateful we are. The last few games the doors opened an hour before the game and we come out to a full house. It just brings tears to my eyes thinking about it. No one is promised that. Tufts players couldn’t believe that all of those people were lined up outside. We play in the best environment, and it is something that is just so special. When Adrienne recruited us, she talked about this, but until you see it, it is hard to imagine. I can’t begin to describe the support we receive every single game.”

The first round begins tonight at 5 p.m., as Smith College — with Kerrigan returning to Bowdoin as an assistant coach — takes on the U.S. Merchant Marine team. By the time Bowdoin and Hunter take the court, Morrell Gymnasium will surely be packed to the rafters.

“We’re obviously excited to be hosting.”

Sam has another year, her senior year, left at Bowdoin. She has thoughts on her future after college.

“I would like to get into advertising, but there’s a lot of things I want to try. The deeper I get into photography, the more I like it. Who knows what the future holds?

One thing is for sure, Samantha Roy will “take ownership” of whatever chance comes her way. No “accidents” here!

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