Talk to Mount St. Mary’s guard Kendall Bresee, and it doesn’t take long to see she’s a pretty competitive person.
Growing up, everything was a competition. That attitude was passed down from her father, Richie, formerly an offensive guard at James Madison, to Kendall and her younger brother Bryan, who enrolled at Clemson in January as a 6-foot-6, 290-pound defensive end and the top recruit in the Class of 2020. Even things as simple as who could get to the bathroom first after a car ride turned into something to be measured.
“My family is extremely crazy,” Kendall said. “My brother looked at me as the second brother in the household since I grew up with all girls. I was always the one he picked on, wrestled, played one on one. Everything was a competition.”
That competitive fire is why last season was so hard for Bresee. After transferring from to the Mount from George Washington following the 2017-18 season, she had to sit out due to NCAA rules. She could still bring it in practice and help the team, but that wasn’t the same as making plays in a game.
“Sitting on the bench and physically able to not be subbed and not be able to do anything about not playing was awful,” Bresee said. “My competitive spirit came out in practice so it was nice that I was able to do scout team, and being able to contribute in a way to help my teammates helped.”
Eligible and able to play again, Bresee has done anything she can to help the team win. She stuffs the stat sheet, ranking in the top three for the Mountaineers in points (11.3), rebounds (6.6), assists (3.6) and steals (1.8) per game heading into the Northeast Conference tournament. Mount St. Mary’s (19-11, 14-4 in the NEC) hosts Long Island University in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. March 9.
According to head coach Maria Marchesano, the team asks Bresee to play different roles each game. Marchesano said Bresee is an unselfish and pass-first player, though some nights she’s asked to take over games. Other nights, the 5-foot-10 guard locks in on the defensive end, where she’s capable of guarding every position due to her length and athleticism.
“The thing about Kendall is she wants to win at all costs,” Marchesano said. “That’s what she brought to our program, a competitive fire and she was in a program that made it [to the NCAA Tournament] and knows what it takes. Her competitiveness takes it to another level.”
Marchesano learned about Bresee from assistant coach Julie Kaufman. Kaufman knew about Bresee from her days as a star at nearby Urbana High School (Ijamsville, Md.), but Bresee had committed to George Washington in eighth grade.
But former GW head coach Jonathan Tsipis, who had recruited Bresee, left for the same position at Wisconsin just weeks before she got to campus the summer before her freshman year (2016-17). Bresee never developed the same relationship with new head coach Jennifer Rizzotti during her two seasons in D.C. and decided to look for a new opportunity.
Though Marchesano isn’t from Maryland and didn’t know about Bresee initially, she knew Bresee would fit her program once she saw her on film. Bresee was also looking to play closer to home, which made Mount St. Mary’s a good fit. While George Washington wasn’t super far away, the drive to Emmitsburg, Md., is a much simpler trip up U.S. Route 15 for the Frederick, Md., native. Bresee said she has about 20-25 fans from home supporting her at each game.
“One thing about me is I like to stay close to home because playing a sport in college is very difficult,” Bresee said. “And having the support system I have has made it much more — not easier, but helpful seeing my family in the stands. After a win or loss it’s easier to go celebrate with them or have them have my back.”
The addition of Bresee (and getting back three players who missed last season due to injury) has made the Mount a much-improved team this winter. The Mountaineers’ 19 wins are their most this century, and their 14 conference wins are the most since the 1999-2000 season. As the No. 2 seed in the NEC tournament, they have a chance to host two postseason games. The semifinals are March 12; the finals, March 15.
A conference tournament title would mean the first NCAA Tournament appearance for Mount St. Mary’s since 1995, but Bresee has a little extra motivation. George Washington won the Atlantic 10 tournament to get to the Big Dance her sophomore year, when she was a little-used reserve. Now as a difference-maker for the Mountaineers, Bresee is hungry to get back.
“The fact that we have the keys this year and have the components and are capable of doing it, just knowing that the experience is so amazing is awesome to get there for the first time in a while would be incredible,” Bresee said.
Photo Credit: Dave Sinclair/Mount St. Mary’s Athletics