Women’s Basketball: Maren Durant waiting for her next big moment

By: Joe Pohoryles

Maren Durant knows how to deliver in the clutch. 

As the 2019-20 Boston University women’s basketball season wound down, the Terriers found themselves trailing the Lehigh Mountain Hawks 47-46 with 10 seconds left on Feb. 26. 

The Terriers had the ball for the last shot, where the six-foot-three Durant was fouled with 0.8 seconds remaining. The only way to secure a victory was to nail both foul shots; the game now rested solely in Durant’s hands.

The pressure would be enough to rattle a senior, let alone a freshman like Durant. But she did not waver, stepping up and hitting both shots to give the Terriers a 48-47 victory.

“I knew I’ve done it before,” Durant said after the game, “so I just really tried to lock in.”

Despite entering college without many expectations, Durant blossomed into one of the Terriers’ top players. After being named to the Patriot League’s All-Rookie and All-Defensive teams last season, Durant will be a centerpiece for a BU team looking to reach greater heights.

“I think she’s gonna help us all around because she’s such a presence and such a hard guard,” BU head coach Marisa Moseley said. 

Shortly after BU wrapped up the regular season and defeated American University to move on to the Patriot League semifinals, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancelation of the rest of the season.

Out of nowhere, Durant found herself back home in Winchester, Massachusetts for the summer, preparing for an uncertain sophomore season. Durant tried to focus on her offensive game, but with limited access to local hoops, she had to get creative when working on other aspects. Mental toughness was one of the biggest focal points.

“At certain points over quarantine, I had to make the active decision to be disciplined rather than being motivated,” Durant said, “I was thinking, ‘I have to do this extra rep, this extra set.’”

With the college basketball season slated to begin in late November, Moseley is excited to see how Durant will impact the team this season. Before starting her head coaching career at BU in 2018, Moseley spent nine years working with All-Americans and future WNBA players as an assistant at UConn. But Durant’s work ethic and energy stands out from the rest.

“[Durant] is the most high-energy kid I think I’ve ever coached,” Moseley said, “Her internal motor and approach to wanting to be great… is second to none.”

Moseley also credits Durant as being the “quintessential teammate” who can help bring the team together. For Durant, her work ethic and leadership qualities were instilled long before she set foot on BU’s campus. Durant played four years of varsity basketball for The Rivers School in Weston, where she earned numerous All-Star honors. She also played volleyball, and even served as class co-president. 

Durant believes juggling the responsibilities of playing sports at a high level, while also participating in student government, helped prepare her for life both on and off the court.

“It boosted my skill set in terms of working with different people… It gave me the confidence in following up on initiatives that I was trying to push forward, which is really something I had never done before,” Durant said.

Durant plans to use those skills in the medical field. She says her seventh grade biology teacher sparked her interest in math and science, and a history of doctors in her family made Sargent College seem like the perfect fit.

While basketball and academics dominate most of her schedule, Durant likes to explore the city in her free time. She took up walking to stay active over the summer, and now enjoys taking in the fresh air on the esplanade. A self-described music junkie, Durant listens to everything from Vivaldi to Kanye West, especially when looking to motivate herself before a game.

That motivation will come in handy, as Durant and the Terriers will face unprecedented challenges this season. But if anyone has proven that they can deliver with their back against the wall, it’s Durant.

“2020 has been such a crazy year, but right now, we have the opportunity to still do something great… We still have really high aspirations even though it might just not be the same as years prior,” Durant said.

Featured image courtesy of Perry Sosi.