Bellerand Takes Pride In Defense
HARRISONBURG — The first time James Madison women’s basketball coach Sean O’Regan saw Breyenne Bellerand play, he couldn’t stop staring at her feet.
He watched as she glided across the floor, keeping pace with whoever she was assigned to guard in that particular game. In a culture that worships gaudy offensive numbers, Bellerand takes pride in shutting down her defensive mark.
That could be what earns Bellerand, who signed with JMU in November as part of a two-person recruiting class, time on the court as a true freshman next season.
“Brey is a high-level defender, she can defend anyone
in the country,” O’Regan said in March. “I remember the first time I saw her, that’s what impressed me the most — her feet and how she moved. That’s what I think will separate her and get her on the floor quicker than most.”
Bellerand’s defense is one of the first things people mention when they discuss her basketball talents.
Incoming JMU freshman guard Tori Harris, who played on the same AAU team as Bellerand last season, said Dukes fans can expect a lot of steals from the shifty 5-foot-11 guard because Bellerand always seems to be in great defensive positions. Bellerand’s coach at Lodi Immaculate in New Jersey, Jeffrey Horohonich, said what makes Bellerand a good defender is her determination.
“She just refuses to get beat,” Horohonich said in a phone interview Wednesday. “Every trip down, she feels it’s a battle between her and her player, and she doesn’t lose the battle.”
Bellerand said defense is a mental fight in her eyes that transcends her physical skills. She said defense starts with having self-pride and the hunger to do whatever it takes to prevent your man from scoring on that possession.
“Defense is kind of a pride thing, and you need to have heart to do it,” Bellerand said in a phone interview Wednesday. “I take pride in that I don’t want my man scoring because who wants to be the one giving up a basket, especially a clutch basket. ... You just have to have heart to do it. It’s really nothing but to keep someone in front of you. That’s your only assignment — to not let your man score.”
Although she is known for her defensive prowess, Bellerand’s wider build presents defenses with a dilemma. She is comfortable posting up the guards who try to defend her, and she’s equally adept driving past forwards who try to stay with her and working her way to the foul line. Horohonich said she averaged between 10 and 12 foul shots per game last season.
Bellerand said she likes to drive a lot because she knows it puts defenders into that awkward position of trying to stop her without fouling her.
“I know my body build is a little bit bigger than other females,” Bellerand said. “I’m a little bit stronger, so going to the basket hard comes easy because I know if someone’s on my hip, I can move them according to how I want them to move. If I want to go faster, they’re going to have to speed up with me because I’m stronger so they don’t want to let me bump them.”
Horohonich said Bellerand has worked hard since the season ended on improving her jump shot after connecting on just four 3-pointers in 27 games this season. He said if that aspect of her game can develop into a complement to the skill set she already possesses, she could become a dominant small forward.
However, Bellerand first needs to fight for her minutes against an experienced group returning for JMU. The Dukes bring back nine of the 10 healthy eligible bodies it had last year, and also add redshirt sophomore Kayla Cooper-Williams, who missed last season with a torn ACL, and redshirt sophomore Kelly Koshuta, who sat out last year after transferring from Virginia Tech.
Bellerand said she wants her work ethic to dictate how much playing time she receives next season.
“You have to work hard at practice in order for you to see any playing time in a real game,” Bellerand said. “If you’re not practicing hard enough, why would your coach play you? ... I’ve never been one to complain about playing time, but I believe I work hard and it has resulted in playing time.”