Women's Basketball | 11/21/2018 3:02:00 PM

By Hogan Lepore | George Mason Athletics
 
Being a senior is a big deal. It is a big moment in a college student's life.
 
Seniors are getting ready to graduate and are looking for jobs, while also trying to take advantage of those mid-day naps they can't take once they graduate.
 
Senior Jewel Triggs is doing all of these things as well as being a team leader for the George Mason University women's basketball team.
 
The senior guard has not only been a leader in the locker room, but she has been a presence on the floor as well. And, specifically, on the glass.
 
In the Patriots' last outing on Sunday, Triggs recorded a career-high nine rebounds to go along with three crucial free-throw conversions in the fourth quarter. Of the three, the last two were the final points of the game with 17 seconds left. They put Mason ahead by three in a 64-61 victory over Colgate as the Patriots improved their record to 3-1 on the season.
 
"Jewel is playing really well," head coach Nyla Milleson said. "She is one of those players that has a very high basketball IQ. She is a good senior leader. I know it has been tough for her, battling through injuries, but her hard work is paying off."
 
Sunday's game shows signs of things to come for Triggs this season. A native of Thibodaux, La., Triggs has been plagued by injuries, including a double knee surgery she required in the summer of 2016. Before the surgery, Triggs' freshman year was her best.
 
During her first collegiate season, the guard amassed 406 minutes in 31 games (13.1 minutes a game) and was only six points shy of recording 100 points on the year to go along with 12 steals. A strong showing for a then-freshman in her inaugural season. She has continued to provide a solid presence for the Patriots, playing in 76 games over the last three-plus season.
 
Moving forward with Triggs' senior season, Milleson wants her to continue to be a presence on the glass, along with being a great leader whether she is on the floor or on the bench with teammates. She currently averages 3.3 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game off the bench.
 
"The two things we ask her to do is come in to guard and come in and be a presence on the glass," Milleson said. "She can effectively produce in other facets of the game, but for our team, those are two major focuses for her."
 
As for Triggs' mindset as her final season continues, the leader did not want to focus on her personal goals, rather the team as a whole.
 
She wants better communication on the floor and boxing out in the paint as much as possible in order for her and her teammates to be able to secure rebounds, especially on the offensive end. She also expects the Patriots to be well prepared throughout the entirety of the season, due to the fact they watch film intensively, as they prepare for Atlantic 10 Conference play.
 
"We really have to be focusing on those little things in practice," Triggs said. "Rebound every possession and making sure we are in the right spots so we each know where each other are at all times, to help us know where and when to make the right pass. Those little things will be very important coming up."