She set her feet, bent her knees, held her follow-through, and as the ball floated through the air toward the hoop, no one would be surprised at the outcome. Swish.

Returning to the hardwood brought back a world of memories, as Missy Amershek was on campus to play in the Alumni day game on January 21 with other Cougars of the past.

At the shooting guard, she was one of the most prolific scorers, holding the women’s all-time points record with 1,365 points compiled over her career. That record stood for sixteen years until current senior Christine Marks recently passed her on January 18th against DeSales University.

During halftime of the Women’s game against Delaware Valley following the Alumni game, the top scorers reunited and post for pictures as the current Hall of Famer congratulated the future Hall of Famer.

“I was happy to see Christine. She’s a great player,” Amershek says. “Sixteen years is a long time to hold a record.”

Amershek played basketball at Tamaqua High School and looked to pursue a degree in Physical Therapy. Not only did MU provide a prestigious program for her career, but it provided her a chance to keep playing the sport she loves.

Amershek was known for her scoring, but she also significantly contributed in numerous categories, ranking among the top 10 career leaders in field goals, 3-pointers, free throws, points per game, rebounds per game, assists and steals in women’s basketball history.

She holds the MU record for steals in a game—11.

“I just played the game to the best of my ability, and the records came as I played,” Amershek says. “I enjoyed being a team player and never thought about records. It was about the love of the game for me.”

Her accomplishments didn’t go unrecognized as she was an All-Conference selection four times and named team MVP twice during a career that spanned from 1992-1996.

But, despite her individual accolades, her favorite memories remain the camaraderie of her team and the close-knit campus.“The friendships I made will last a lifetime,” Amershek says. “It was a great experience.”

As for team success during her career, the Cougars were runners-up in ECAC playoffs her senior year.

Coming back to Dallas to reunite with some of her former teammates for the alumni day game allowed her to notice the growth of the campus.

“It’s crazy to see the campus change,” Amershek says. “It’s nice to see them incorporate new buildings without making it seem crowded.”

Amershek joked about how she didn’t even have the chance to play in the Anderson Center.

“We played at Dallas High School or a dinky gym on the bottom of McAuley Hall,” Amershek said with a laugh. “When we were here it was so different. They have done a tremendous job.”

When she heard she was to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a part of the class of 2005, she was honored.

“It’s nice when I come back to campus and I can show my kids the plaque and they see their mom on the wall,” Amershek says. “It brings back great memories.”

She received her Master’s in Physical Therapy from MU and went back to get her doctorate in 2007, and currently lives in New Ringgold with her husband, who she met at Misericordia, and her two children.

“I wouldn’t trade the experience I had at MU for anything,” Amershek says. “It really is an amazing place!”