BRAVO!

The University of Toledo women’s basketball team’s lineup is riddled with talent from across the pond.

Freshman guard Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott is the latest transplant from Europe, specifically England, to make a name for herself as a Rocket.

“It is nice being in a different culture,” she said. “The fact that basketball is appreciated here is really enjoyable.

“The game is much faster here than in Europe.”

Not too fast, apparently. Last week, Bravo-Harriott picked up the Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week award. In contests against Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan, she averaged a team-high 17.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals.

“I didn’t even realize, people congratulated before I even knew about [winning the award],” Bravo-Harriott said. “Then once I looked on Twitter I was like ‘woah, yay.’”

She wasn’t the only one excited about the accolade.

“It’s awesome, I mean I definitely think she deserves it,” said senior guard Inma Zanoguera. “She’s really, really talented and I think she’s been doing a great job ever since she got here. I’m super happy.

“She’s a perfectionist and she wants to always do well. She never wants to let the team down.”

Bravo-Harriott averaged 27 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists coming out of high school. She has recorded double-digit scoring figures in 6 out of the Rockets’ last 7 games and has been exceptionally potent from beyond the arch, shooting 43.8 percent from three-point land against the Huskies and Eagles.

“Jay-Ann has really started to gain some confidence and some momentum,” said UT head coach Tricia Cullop. “It’s really helped our play. She’s a scoring threat, she also does a nice job distributing to others and she’s quicker than people think. She’s got a quick first step.”

The difference between basketball in Europe and basketball in America doesn’t appear to be affecting the 2014-15 College Sports Madness MAC Freshman of the Year.

“It’s interesting,” Cullop said. “They are used to a 24-second shot clock, they are used to sometimes a more physical play and obviously the way traveling is called here versus there is hard to get used to.

“But I think [Bravo-Harriott has] adapted extremely well and she’s extremely coachable.”

One of the biggest adjustments Bravo-Harriott has had to make is learning to be effective when the offense isn’t running through her. Entering college play, where the talent pool is much deeper, athletes must be prepared to learn how to be effective when the ball isn’t in their hands.

“I’ve learned to appreciate how much of a team game basketball is,” Bravo-Harriott said. “Even if I don’t get touches, as long as we convert that is the best thing for the team. We really emphasize defense, so if we get a stop who knows?

“Pretty much anyone can score after that.”

Bravo-Harriott’s willingness to step out of the limelight exemplifies the mature nature she has developed.

As the Rockets barrel towards the end of the season, and with the MAC Tournament on the horizon, Bravo-Harriott’s play may be the deciding factor between victory and a trip home.

“We don’t look at her as a freshman,” Cullop said. “We look at her as someone who can really help our program.”