Captain Aiden Williams (senior) is the only senior on the men’s basketball team. Williams closed out his final game of collegiate basketball by scoring 32 points against Caltech. Williams is also 2nd in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) three-point shooting percentage at 43.7%. For reference, one of the leading three-point shooters in the NBA, Stephen Curry, has a career three-point shooting percentage of 42.7%.
According to Williams, being a senior makes every day count more, so he’s been trying to enjoy and appreciate every day to its fullest.
“I’ve learned through basketball that you need to be very resilient because you’re not going to have your best game every game,” Williams said. “When you don’t have the game you want to, you have to work just as hard as you were before that. I’ve also learned that basketball is a very mental sport and it’s supposed to be enjoyed, it’s supposed to be fun, but also competitive. It’s such an interesting balance you have to have.”
Assistant coach Kebu Stewart joined the men’s basketball staff with the experience of a long professional career that includes playing for teams in the NBA and overseas.
“Aiden is a great leader,” Stewart said. “I mean, he’s 5’9’’, but he’s 6’10’’ in terms of his voice and when he’s in the room. When we’re in a huddle, you can just hear Aiden, his voice just speaks volumes and gets everybody pumped. Aiden is a straight up winner.”
According to Stewart, one of William’s biggest areas of growth during his time at Occidental is not getting too down on himself things are not going his way.
“I think what led to his success is his passion, his work ethic, his approach to the game and his relentless attitude to want to be better,” Stewart said. “He is the first guy in the gym, the last guy out of the gym. He just loves the game of basketball. So, it’s not a surprise that he had a great basketball career here at Occidental.”
According to Williams, he can see himself becoming a basketball coach in the future.
“I really enjoy motivating and encouraging my teammates, so I feel like I’d be a good coach in that sense, through motivating and encouraging players,” Williams said. “Carrying those leadership skills and confidence in my voice from college to the next chapter is going to be a big thing.”
Gabriela Etopio
In her final year of college basketball, Gabriela Etopio (senior) captained the women’s basketball team to its first SCIAC Championship win since 2011.
“I’ve really learned a lot, especially how to work with other people. You’re going to have run-ins and conflicts, but it’s especially important on a team to keep in mind the common goal which is that everybody wants to win,” Etopio said. “Also, I think I’m more of a selfless player. In high school, the team dynamic wasn’t very team oriented. But coming here, the idea of having a really strong team culture appealed to me.”
According to the women’s basketball head coach Anahit Aladzhanyan, Etopio demonstrates all the traits necessary to be a good leader for the team.
“Gabbie has grown as a leader in so many ways,” Aladzhanyan said via email. “Most impactfully, she communicated timely, directly and with care. She models physical and mental toughness with her assertive play on the floor her ability to stay in the moment.”
According to Etopio, one of the most memorable moments of her time playing basketball at Occidental was this year’s early season win against Chapman.
“The win against Chapman really set the tone for the rest of the season because Chapman is a team that we have struggled against in previous years,” Etopio said. “That showed all of us that we really have a chance this year and that we were really going to do great things which we have continued to do throughout the season and hopefully we can take it all to the end. So, I think that was a really integral, memorable moment and I remember we all stormed on the court afterward.”
Etopio said she’s not sure what role basketball will play in her future at this point.
“I might join a women’s league back home or something, but even if I don’t continue playing as much as I have here, basketball is always going to have an impact on my life, through the people that I’ve met and helping me stay in shape and have fun,” Etopio said. “So, it’s something that’s always going to play a role in my life.”
Ariel Lashinsky
Ariel Lashinsky (senior) has been the team manager for the women’s basketball team for the last three years in addition to playing softball in the spring.
According to Lashinsky, being a part of the basketball team has been one of the most impactful experiences during her time at Occidental.
“My sophomore year I had an injury in softball, and I had to get surgery,” Lashinsky said. “So that was hard because I love my softball team. It was hard to see them playing softball because I wanted to do that, but couldn’t due to my injury. So having the basketball team to turn to when I was struggling — I don’t know what I would’ve done without it.”
According to Aladzhanyan, there have been a lot of contributing factors to Lashinsky’s success on the team, especially her willingness to help facilitate practices and games.
“She has helped us tremendously with running the game and shot clock and practices and games, taking stats, and making and sharing her observations with myself and our staff,” Aladzhanyan said.
Lashinsky said she has been in sports her whole life and that she hopes to stay there.
“I’ve learned enough in both sports to be able to give lessons,” Lashinsky said. “This is going to sound so cheesy, but I feel like sports can really change your life. It’s cool seeing the impact you can have on younger athletes.”
Contact Theo Wilton at twilton@oxy.edu
