For a basketball team to be successful, the point guard and the leading scorer must have chemistry. In the case of point guard Hillary Dunn and Emily Goodman, the team's center and leading scorer for the past two years, their relationship extends beyond the hardwood.
"I have already planned the speech for her wedding," Goodman said of Dunn. "We always talk about how when we are 90 we are just going to be sitting around and talking like [we do now]. If someone asked me who I would keep in touch with after college, she is definitely one."
It should not be a surprise that Goodman and Dunn, both juniors, have developed such a strong friendship. In fact, after living together for all or parts of three years it would be strange if they weren't close.
The pair began their off-court friendship during winter break freshman year, as the team, like other winter sports, was required to return early and live in Stratton. And as luck would have it, Dunn and Goodman were assigned to be roommates.
"We really clicked then," Dunn said. "We did everything together second semester freshman year. That year during spring break we visited each other. I went to New York and she came to Massachusetts."
According to Goodman, during that first time as roommates they bonded in part because of the lonely situation and also because they shared a similar sense of humor. "The main thing that brought us together was our similar ridiculous sense of humor," Goodman said. "When you are back here and it is depressing because no one is around, laughing helps you get through it. And that was the main thing that drew us together. We were in the same room and everything became funny."
Interestingly, had it not been for basketball, the pair may have never met. "We've talked about this before," Dunn said. "If we didn't play basketball we probably wouldn't know each other. So basketball brought us together as friends."
While the duo became best friends in the middle of freshmen year, they really didn't begin developing an on-court chemistry until their sophomore year. As a freshmen, Goodman was the starting center and Dunn appeared sporadically as the backup point guard.
That all changed during their sophomore year, when starting point guard Shira Fishman was recovering from a partially torn ACL. Dunn was thrust into a starting role and the pair began to develop on the court as well.
"At the beginning of the year [Fishman] was hurt so I played almost every minute of every game," Dunn said. "So we had that crash course of constantly playing with each other where freshman year was sporadic. A lot of people were injured at the beginning of last year so we were both logging a lot of minutes. That was the first time we played together constantly."
This season there should be even more highlights featuring the pair as coach Janice Savitz has developed a motion, inside-outside offense that will utilize the skills of both Dunn and Goodman.
"Obviously the book is that Goody is the focal point of offense and we have to get other people involved," Savitz said. "So we have get more offense out of perimeter people."
"The inside outside-offense caters to both of us," Dunn said. "More than shooting outside I like to drive to the basket and that will open opportunities for her and that will make it easier to pass to her. And when she is double teamed she can kick it out to me for the three."
This year, Dunn and Goodman will be counted on to be amongst the team's leaders. "Being in the point guard position, Hillary is kind of extension of the coaching staff. Her leadership skills are such that and she has a lot of respect from her peers," Savitz said. "Goodman with the course of a couple years under her belt has matured into one of the best players in the conference."
Once the duo is finished with the game or the practice they jump right back into their own little world.
"There was one specific time when we were in our room [last year]," Goodman said. "I don't know why we didn't leave. We just went stir crazy. I think it was during the snow storm. Hill got up and started jumping into the wall and it was the funniest thing at the time. She was saying 'get me out of here I'm bored." That is just some of the stupid [stuff] that goes on. We were just sitting there absolutely hysterical because it was so dumb. It was ridiculous."
While some people might have thought that Dunn was going crazy, Goodman thought it was funny, perhaps even normal and that is the sign of a friendship which clearly transcends basketball.
