Entering her third year with the Binghamton women’s basketball team, junior forward Genevieve Coleman is ready to continue being an impact player for the Bearcats. Coming off a season in which she started in all 30 games and led the Bearcats in scoring in six of those games, Coleman looks to continue that consistency this season.

“Personally, [I’m] just doing my role, doing everything I can to get us to that W, to try and be dominant in every way that I can,” Coleman said.

Adding to her on-court consistency was her ranking third on the team last year, averaging 10.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and finishing top-10 in the America East (AE) in field goal percentage at .457. In the AE tournament, Coleman put up a 16 points and six rebounds performance in the Bearcats’ quarter-final loss to Maine.

“I definitely want to increase all my percentages pretty much … and make more shots in general and be more confident with the ball,” Coleman said.

As a freshman, Coleman appeared in all 29 games for BU, including five starts. She finished the year with a selection to the AE all-rookie team, along with three selections as AE rookie of the week during the season.

Coleman’s passion for the game started at an early age, drawing inspiration from her father, Michael, who played college basketball at the University of Rochester. Coleman credits her father with bringing about her competitive nature and playing a foundational role in her development as a player.

“I definitely get my competitiveness from my father,” Coleman said. “If you ask anyone on the team, I would definitely be picked as the most competitive, and that comes from him. Basketball-wise, we were on the court since I was four or five, and he was constantly coaching me. Every holiday, any day, we were on the court. It definitely increased my skill, and I give a lot of credit to him for me being here at Binghamton.”

Before her time at BU, Coleman was a two-time New York State Sportswriters Association (NYSSWA) All-State Selection at Owego Free Academy in Owego, New York. She won back-to-back Tioga County Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2019 and 2020 and finished her senior season averaging 20.2 points, 13 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game.

Coleman, who reached double figures in scoring in over half her starts last season for the Bearcats, finds playing close to home to be an outstanding — but motivating — experience.

“It’s been amazing,” Coleman said. “The support I feel is amazing. Every game I know there’s people here to watch me play. It adds a little pressure, but I like pressure. It’s a good environment. It’s just fun all the time.”

Coleman adds two years of experience to head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord’s squad, including bringing playoff experience in the AE tournament. She remains focused on not only continuing to improve her own game but also doing everything she can to contribute to the team’s success.

“I think we’re really excited to win games, get further than we did last year and have really good team chemistry on the court and off,” Coleman said.

Along with her drive to help the team succeed by playing her best, Coleman is also highly motivated to succeed in the classroom. Majoring in biomedical engineering, Coleman was named to the AE commissioner’s honor roll, and the fall and spring semester AD honor roll at BU, during her freshman season. To Coleman, the balance of being a full-time basketball player and student has been challenging at times, but she has found her support system to be outstanding.

“It’s definitely challenging,” Coleman said. “But I feel the support I have with my coaches and teammates. They let me leave practice early, proctor my exams on the road [and] always give me time to do my homework. They’re constantly supporting me. It’s been awesome. It’s hard, but it’s what I want to do — basketball and academic-wise. I’m getting to do both at the same time, which I’m so grateful for.”