SLIPPERY ROCK — Mercyhurst University women's basketball coach Brooklyn Kohlheim gathered her team not long after the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference decided to scuttle all winter sports.

She presented them with a unique opportunity.

Play anyway.

Slippery Rock High School graduate Emma McDermott, a 6-foot sophomore guard, was one of the more vocal players during the meeting.

“Emma was involved a lot in those conversations,” Kohlheim said. “Emma is really poignant with her words. She's a great leader. When she talks, everyone kind of listens. She was like, 'Look, if we play, we're not going to be able to go home for Thanksgiving. How do you guys feel about that?'”

McDermott helped the team break down the pros and cons of playing a makeshift season in the era of COVID-19, which has shut down many NCAA Division II and Division III sports for the foreseeable future.

The sacrifices were many.

Isolation.

Living life in a virtual bubble.

Frequent testing.

McDermott and her teammates gave an emphatic yes anyway.

“It was a team decision to play,” McDermott said. “I knew we would decide as a team to play — it's kind of who we are. Based on our culture and who we are as a team, I just kind of knew it was going to happen, that we were going to have a season anyway.”The Lakers have played five games, two of them exhibitions. They are 3-0 heading into a holiday break.When they come out of the hiatus, they know there are a couple of games waiting for them on the docket — they're just not sure what teams those will be or even where they will be played.Such is the 2020-21 season for both the women's and men's basketball teams at Mercyhurst University.“I wake up every day feeling super, super fortunate that we're allowed to be in the gym,” McDermott said “Our coach reminds us of that every day.”Kohlheim also reminds them that going with the flow is a virtue in the time of COVID.“You have to be flexible and willing to pick up the phone and take a game two days from now,” Kohlheim said. “Every scheduling decision has come from the team. They've all kind of committed to making the sacrifices. I'm just putting games in front of them.”McDermott played seven minutes Tuesday night against Salem University in an 82-61 victory. Ironically, Wednesday's game, also against Salem University, was canceled, not because of COVID-19, but because of a snowstorm.“We get tested three times a week — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We've had no positive tests on our team,” McDermott said. “Knock on wood — I'm not trying to jinx us.”McDermott said she and her teammates have been beyond diligent, isolating themselves, wearing masks and taking every precaution necessary to keep their season on track.She knows what it would be like to lose a season — her sister, Elena, who is a senior guard at Waynesburg University — is staring down that possibility.“Nothing has been canceled yet for her,” Emma McDermott said. “I'm praying she gets her season because she's a senior. It's crazy to think how lucky we are. There are so many schools that are down.”McDermott is hoping to increase her playing time after the break.She's spending it continuing to work on her game.“I definitely have been working really, really hard,” McDermott said. “We have some opportunity over the break to get some individual work. I don't really think about (playing time) too much. I go to practice and if it's not to get myself into the game, it's to make my teammates better. Everyone has a purpose on the team.”McDermott and her teammates won't lose a year of eligibility by playing this season, which made giving it a try all the more appealing.“Why wouldn't we want to do it?” McDermott said.McDermott has one big fan in her corner — Kohlheim.“Emma is so mature for her age — she's a great kid,” the coach said. “I think Emma can contribute in more ways than the stat sheet. She's working her way into getting more minutes, for sure. She's the type of kid who is so easy to coach — you look her in the eye, tell her to do something and she will do it.“She has an uncanny ability to score the ball,” Kohlheim added. “I'm not worried about her on the offensive end. We're working with her on the defensive end.”On the offensive end, McDermott answered a challenge from her coach this summer in becoming a more consistent shooter.“This preseason she was outshooting everyone on the team,” Kohlheim said. “When she gets her foot down and everything is straight, the ball is going in. It's fun watching her grow. Emma is an absolute gem. I absolutely enjoy coaching her with all my heart.”

McDermott