(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first of two stories today in our Feature Friday Series. This morning's article takes a look at women's basketball senior forward Amanda Saab, who tore her ACL earlier this season but did not quit and is finishing her final season with tremendous heart by playing through the pain.)

By Morgan Miller
Athletics Student Feature Writer

Perseverance through pain is a difficult situation for any athlete. Women’s basketball senior captain Amanda Saab has demonstrated that heartfelt perseverance throughout the second half of this season as she has gone against all odds and played through an injury that should have been the end of her collegiate career. 

Despite the injury, Saab has provided valuable minutes for the Ravens over the past two months and has been a key cog in their run towards a spot in the NCAA Division II Tournament.

Saab began her basketball career at the early age of six and said that she really started to develop skills for the game upon entering middle school. At the high school level, Saab made the varsity team as a freshman and started every game, but it wasn’t until her sophomore year that she really started pushing her basketball abilities to the next level.

“I had worked out the entire summer and traveled over an hour every day on the weekdays,” Saab said. “I also traveled from state to state on the weekends playing AAU basketball in order to develop my skills more and play competitively.”

During her senior year of high school, Saab tore her ACL and had to miss an entire season.

“I was lucky enough to have signed with Franklin Pierce ahead of time,” said Saab. “I had surgery and my knee was back to normal throughout most of my college career. It never dawned on me that tearing it again would ever happen.”

Unfortunately, Saab’s worst nightmare came true right before Christmas break this year while the team was practicing to prepare for a tournament in New Orleans. While making a jump stop (a move that Saab had done thousands of times before) her knee completely gave out and she had to be helped off the court by teammates and coaches.

“I thought I might have twisted my knee the wrong way or that it just hyper extended on me, but in the back of my mind I knew that something wasn’t right,” she said.

After visiting a doctor, Saab learned that she had completely torn her ACL once again. She was filled with many emotions, but more importantly she was tasked with making a tough decision of giving up entirely or trying to play through the injury to complete her final season with the Ravens.

“Many people who don’t play sports or aren’t as passionate as me probably will never understand how an injury like that can affect you,” she said. “I had never felt so low in my life. I had worked so hard to get to the point I was at. I felt like in a matter of seconds everything I worked so hard for just got flushed down the drain.”

Saab ultimately decided to brace up her knee and persevere through the pain to complete the season. She missed a stretch of five games to begin the second half of the season, but returned to the lineup on Jan. 15 in a 72-71 win over New Haven. Saab logged just nine minutes in that game, but came back in the next game against Adelphi four days later and logged 25 minutes. She hit double-figures in scoring the following game as she dumped in 13 at Assumption and finally returned to the starting lineup on Jan. 26 in a comeback win over Pace.

“It was extremely difficult at first,” she added. “I was a scared, nervous, emotional mess out on the court, but what kept me going were my teammates and my coach Jennifer Leedham.”

Even though every game and practice is painful for Saab, she has learned to persevere through the discomfort and hopes that she can be an inspiration to her team as well as others.

“A lot of people don’t understand how far they can push themselves, both physically and mentally,” she said. “Many people give up because they think it’s too hard, and at one point in time I thought I was going to be one of them. But I stuck with it and proved a lot of people wrong. I am happy to say that I have earned the respect from my entire team for what I have done and still continue to do with my injury.”

As for the remainder of the season, Saab is focused on making the NCAA tournament.

“We had some bad losses, so we are up in the air if we are going to make it in or not,” she said. “We have a big game coming up on Sunday versus UMass Lowell, which is basically do or die. So as of now, we are just looking at the next game and nothing further. We want to take care of business and hope that there will be another game to play.”

Saab stated that the thought of this being her final season with the Ravens is extremely emotional and she is so thankful for the opportunities that Franklin Pierce has given her.

“I remember in high school hearing speeches about how fast time flies and to enjoy it while it lasts, but it never really hits you. I never could imagine that there would be a day where I would wake up and wouldn’t have to go to a practice or wouldn’t have to prepare for a game,” she said. “I am so thankful for the opportunity I have been given at Franklin Pierce. Thinking back over the last four years, I wouldn’t even be able to recognize myself when I was a freshman. I have changed so much as a person it is unbelievable. I am truly blessed.”