When used correctly, a jump pass is one of the most effective plays in basketball. It makes passing sharper on fast breaks and to the low post in an offensive set play. For junior guard Katherine Bixby, her mastery of the play has made her one of the most skilled players in the nation. Her ballhandling and shooting place her among the leaders in the Empire 8 every season.

However, that jump pass almost spelled disaster for Bixby and the women’s basketball team against Stevens Institute of Technology on Feb. 10.

About three minutes into the game, Bixby tried to feed a forward who had position over her opponent. When she came down from the pass though, she landed right on the Nike logo on the side of her shoe, turning her ankle and sending her to the trainer. Moments later, Bixby’s Nike’s were off, and her ankle swelled up to the size of a field hockey ball, ending her night.

“She is a big asset to us, and her getting hurt is not easy for the rest of the team,” sophomore guard Jordan Confessore said.

Bixby’s role as a true point guard and floor leader makes it especially tough on the other guards to come in and fill that specific place. Bixby logs many minutes, so her teammates had to adjust with her off of the court against Stevens.

“It is tough that there are not many times when she’s not on the court,” senior guard Megan Rumschik said. “It is almost like playing four on five without her bringing the ball up.”

While physically out of the Stevens game, the injury could not take Bixby’s spirit and competitiveness away, as she could not sit still on the sideline. Her encouraging yells filled the gym for the remainder of the game. With her helping from the bench, the Bombers came back and beat Stevens 61–60. Bixby even admitted that being a spectator was fun.

“I had a great time watching,” she said. “I was really proud of them.”

While sitting out was difficult, Bixby realized it immediately gave young players like Confessore and freshmen Jessica Farley and Riley Dunn a chance to step up.

“It can be a good thing to get them some extra time,” she said.

Each of these underclassmen came in and played well, giving the Bombers the spark they needed to pull out a gutsy win.

With the Empire 8 tournament just a couple of weeks away, this test of both the team and those players will prove to be helpful down the road. The Bombers are now just focused on finishing the season strong, which is a lot more likely with Bixby back on the floor.

However, Bixby did not practice the rest of that week, sitting out with her ankle still in pain. That did not stop her from still squirming on the sidelines, as she sustained her shouts of support all week long.

For the Bomber faithful, it was a sight for sore eyes to see Bixby back in the lineup against St. John Fisher College on Saturday. Yet, Bixby was off her game because of the hurt ankle, and the Blue and Gold faltered for the first time at home this season, losing 56-45.

“It was more of a problem that I missed a week of practice,” Bixby said. “It wasn’t really painful during the game, it just felt stiff.”

Unable to cut like normal, Bixby struggled to get open for shots. Without much lift on her jumper, scoring proved to be difficult. Her teammates struggled as well, only shooting 31 percent from the floor.

With only two games left in the regular season, the Bombers will need to not only get Bixby healthy, but get their offense as a whole going again.  Both Rumschik and Bixby said they did not play tough as a team in their last outing. At the moment, Ithaca College still stands atop the Empire 8, and with another week of practice under their belts before their conference game at Nazareth College tomorrow, the Bombers will work to get both Bixby and their chemistry back.

With any luck, another fluke jump pass will not stand in their way.