Last Sunday Monmouth beat Towson 80-55 in the CAA tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Hawks only won 2 games in 2021 but won 18 games this year and clinched the school’s 1st NCAA tourney bid since 1983. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Monmouth SR F Lucy Thomas about the importance of veteran leadership.
You were born/raised in New Jersey: what made you choose Monmouth? I was actually born in Pennsylvania and then lived in New York for a little bit. Monmouth is close to home so it is nice to have my family at home games for support. It is a really good fit for me and was my best choice.
You play for Coach Ginny Boggess: what makes her such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from her so far? She really pushes everyone to do their best and has so much faith in us/love for us. She knows how much talent we have and has really helped us throughout this postseason with positive talk.
In 2019 you made the conference all-rookie team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I made sure to get up some extra shots in the gym to try to improve my game. It was a really big accomplishment so shout-out to my teammates/coaches who helped me get that.
In December of 2019 you scored a career-high 22 PTS including the game-winning shot with 4.2 seconds left in OT to beat Manhattan: did you think the shot was going in, and where does that rank among the highlights of your career so far? That 1 is up there! It was a really intense game so I was just locked in on the play but the shot felt good when I released it. I remember the game being a battle but it was a really great moment.
You are pursuing a masters in communication: why did you choose that subject? My undergrad degree was in finance but I wanted to branch out of that field and do something different so that I could add something else to my resume.
What is the post-graduation plan? I am still thinking about it.
Last Sunday in the CAA tourney title game you scored 9 PTS in a win over Towson on their home court: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? The hard work we put in throughout the whole year is something that I am just so proud of. To see everyone just out there hooping was really nice. Winning a ring to finish up my last year is something that I will never forget. After the game everyone was just yelling/screaming on the court.
You had to win 4 games in 4 days while facing each of the top-3 seeds: did you even stay awake for the Selection Show or just go to sleep for 24 hours after the title game to recover?! We were all awake/together as 1 big team for the Selection Show: there was so much excitement.
You are 1 of 4 graduate students on the roster: how crucial has all of that experience been to your team’s success this year? It really helps out on the court due to all of the knowledge that we have: I think it is a really big factor.
How do you feel about being a 16 seed, and what do you know about Tennessee Tech? I feel good about it. We just have to go out and do our thing. We will have to scout Tennessee Tech because they are a really good team but I am excited to play.