Author: Jeremy Shapiro
Women’s basketball guard Makenzie Brandon (junior) led the Lady Tigers to their fifth consecutive regular season SCIAC title in addition to adding to her list of career accomplishments.
The standout from Seattle dominated this season and her play has gone a long way to helping the Occidental Tigers stand alone atop the SCIAC standings (22-3 overall, 13-1 SCIAC). She is the conference’s leading scorer, averaging over 17 points per game and places in the top ten individually in the SCIAC in scoring (first), free-throw percentage (second), field goal percentage (fifth), assists (ninth) and rebounding (tenth).
Brandon grew up playing basketball and the sport has always been a major part of her life. “I grew up with two brothers who are both very into sports. When I was younger we painted a key and three-point line onto our black deck, so we had no excuse not to practice. My father also played collegiate basketball, so I have him to thank for all the late nights and early morning shooting outside,” she said.
Perhaps Brandon’s most impressive trait is her work ethic. Despite her success, Brandon has not become complacent and remains motivated to improve every day.
“I want to become the most well-rounded player I can, and the only way to do that is to recognize and work on my weaknesses,” she said. “And though no one likes to struggle or have bad games, it’s those games or practices that motivate me to keep working.”
While Brandon has received widespread praise for her fantastic season, she remains humble and focused on the team’s success. “My teammates keep me motivated. It’s such a fun group of women that truly enjoy playing with each other and being in each other’s company. Like every person on the team, I am driven to do my best for my teammates and our team’s success,” she said.
Brandon also emphasizes what it means to be a student-athlete, whose success transfers from the hardwood to the classroom.
Brandon says she has no definitive plans after graduating but is thinking about applying to medical school, and expressed an interest some capacity in public health. However, medical school might have to be put on hold for the time being due to the opportunity to pursue a professional basketball career.
“I am considering looking into playing basketball overseas. I can’t think of anything much better than getting to travel and play basketball at the same time,” Brandon said.
Brandon has helped lead Occidental to one of the most successful seasons in the school’s history. With the NCAA Division III Championships less than a month away, the future looks promising for Brandon.
She will attempt to continue her already- impressive season by leading her Tigers to a victory over Cal Lutheran in the SCIAC Post-Season Tournament Semifinal this Thursday.
This article has been archived, for more requests please contact us via the support system.
