The inbounds pass sailed over the defense to an open Cassondra Covington with just 16.7 seconds left in the game. All the freshman walk-on on the Syracuse women’s basketball team had to do was run out the clock to preserve SU’s the two-point lead over Team Adidas Friday night.

But the ball bounced off her foot, leading to a fast break and the tying basket for the Premier Players.

‘I was like ‘Oh man, I can’t believe this happened,” Covington said. ‘But then I was like, ‘It’s not the end of the world because we can make a stop and we can still win the game.’

The Orange went on to lose the game in overtime, 68-66, but head coach Quentin Hillsman was not pointing fingers at Covington after the game.

Covington was in the game because five Syracuse players were sidelined due to injuries, leaving the Orange with just eight players, including two walk-ons. Those five players are expected to miss significant time, meaning SU will have to play with a short bench for the foreseeable future.

The short bench will include Covington and fellow walk-on, Anne Marie Boidock, when the Orange takes on Athletes in Action in its second exhibition game in Manley Field House at 7 p.m. Athletes in Action is part of the sports ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. The organization is designed to teach athletes how to use their influence to spread Christianity.

Now that Covington knows she will play significant minutes for the Orange this season, she hopes to concentrate on becoming a more effective player.

‘Sometimes I feel like since I’m not on scholarship I need to take advantage of this opportunity,’ Covington said. ‘I need to decrease my mistakes.’

Covington received offers from smaller basketball schools before deciding to come to Syracuse, but said she came to SU to take advantage of the academics. Since she loved basketball, she decided she would try out for the team, not knowing if she would make it or not.

Boidock also decided to come to Syracuse because of the academics but has dreamed of playing college basketball since she was a child. She said the walk-ons needed to make up for lost time in the beginning of the season because the scholarship players were together for part of the summer, while she and Covington arrived at the start of the school year. But at this point the walk-ons are a part of the team.

‘You don’t exactly classify yourself any lower than the other players,’ Boidock said. ‘I think everyone on the team can compete so it doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re considered.’

Despite only having six scholarship players, Hillsman said he will not host a tryout for more walk-ons. He said he is happy with the way his team has come together with his new fast-paced system and does not think he needs to make changes to the roster.

In Friday’s exhibition, Nicole Michael and Vaida Sipaviciute fouled out in the second half. That left the Orange with just six players in the final minutes of overtime, including the two walk-ons. If two more players foul out, the Orange would have to play with less than five.

‘Well, you can play with four, you can play with three, you can play with two-you have to start the game with five,’ Hillsman said. ‘So let’s hope that doesn’t happen.’

Since Hillsman will not add players to the roster, Covington and Boidock will earn plenty of playing time in the next few weeks. Boidock sees it as a chance to prove she can play at this level.

‘I think every practice, every interaction with coach and every game is just an opportunity to either earn more minutes or earn more respect from (Hillsman) and the other coaches,’ Boidock said. ‘I think they’re still learning about us every day.’

Published on November 6, 2006 at 12:00 pm