Mary Joe Riley doesn’t consider herself a bench player anymore. The junior has good reason considering she played at least 30 minutes in the Orange’s first game and two exhibitions this season, despite opening all three games on the bench.

‘It’s not a big thing,’ Riley said. ‘I just want to do whatever I can to help my team.’

Riley’s services will be in high demand when SU takes on Cornell in its home opener in the Carrier Dome at 3 p.m.

Head coach Quentin Hillsman said the Big Red is a fantastic shooting team that loves to run up and down the court. Cornell scored 90 points in a 43-point victory over McGill University in its only exhibition game. That system, combined with the Orange’s new fast-paced offense and short bench, means Hillsman will have to use Riley throughout the game.

‘Every night we play everybody,’ Hillsman said. ‘That gives us the best chance to keep ourselves fresh for the last four minutes of the game where we have a chance to win.’

Hillsman said Riley’s versatility makes her a valuable part of SU’s bench. In the Orange’s only regular season game against Penn State, Riley was 5-of-12 from the field, scoring 10 points in 30 minutes. Her ability to play four positions makes her an ideal substitute because she can give anyone, from point guard Cintia Johnson to power forward Kerri Laimbeer, a rest.

Playing multiple positions allows Riley to spend more time on the court than she would if she only played one or two, but that ability also brings more stress into her life.

‘It’s hard remembering all the plays and remembering all the positions,’ Riley said. ‘But I like them all as long as I’m on the floor.’

The shooting guard position is Riley’s favorite, but she doesn’t mind moving around on the floor, even if it means covering someone who is more than six feet tall. Riley said she has to play physical when she is covering tall players as opposed to playing low and fast against shorter players.

‘I like both styles because it’s all part of defense,’ Riley said. ‘Sometimes you have to play big on small people, too. It’s always help defense so I allow my teammates to help me when I’m in trouble.’

Riley’s hard play off the bench has helped her earn the respect of her teammates and coaches. Laimbeer said the steady rotation helps keep all the players fresh, especially since injuries have left the team with just six scholarship players. She said Riley and the other bench players have shown enough to prove they deserve to be on the court.

‘Mary’s been a huge part of our team,’ Laimbeer said. ‘She’s playing really well this year. Anyone on our team can start any given night so I don’t consider them bench players.’

Hillsman doesn’t consider Riley a bench player anymore either. He said she will probably start multiple games this year, depending on how the Orange matches up with its opponents.

He also doesn’t worry about Riley being upset when she doesn’t start because she sees as much time as any starter.

‘She plays 30 minutes a game,’ Hillsman said. ‘If I was a player coming off the bench for 30 minutes, I’d be OK with it.’

Published on November 14, 2006 at 12:00 pm