December 13, 2023
Emme Shearer and Tayla Dalton began their NCAA careers back in 2020 at a time when, as freshmen, they not only had to adapt to the demands placed on first year student athletes but also navigate the constraints and restrictions in place due to COVID.
Almost four years on, and in their senior years, the former Harbour representative teammates are bringing up a century of Division 1 appearances in the same week – Shearer with the University of Portland Pilots and Dalton with St Mary’s College, California Gaels.
Dalton reached the mark in the Gaels loss at UC Davis on Sunday while Shearer will reach her ton when Portland visit Stanford on Friday.
So how big a deal is a century of games?
Well first of all not many Kiwis have done it. In fact just 26 New Zealand women and 17 men have previously reached the mark in NCAA Division I play (see table below).
With college teams playing just over thirty games a season on average the other requirements to achieve the milestone are to remain injury free, which largely both have, and quickly win the trust of the coaching staff.
Many players suffer the frustration of sitting on the bench in their first year (or more) picking up spot minutes behind more established senior players. Dalton and Shearer were spared that hindrance as they made an immediate impact for their respective teams.
In the 2020-21 season Shearer played in all 27 games (with 14 starts) for the Pilots and was named to the All-West Coast Conference Freshman Team. The Gaels also play in the West Coast Conference where Dalton also appeared in every St Mary’s game (26) and made three starts.
Following accomplished freshman years the duo have continued to build successful NCAA Division I careers with both having a chance of completing the double of 100 appearances and a 1,000 points during this current season – something achieved by just 17 New Zealand women.
Shearer has a slight lead with 795 points compared with Dalton’s 771 points. Both are currently second on their team’s scoring list – Shearer averaging 10.7ppg and Dalton 9.3ppg.
In addition Shearer leads the Pilots in steals (2.4 per game) while Dalton, averaging a team high 31 minutes per game for the Gaels, is second in that stats category (1.6 per game).
Having played together for the Junior Tall Ferns in 2018, alongside each other for various Harbour representative teams, and against each other in the Auckland Schools competition (Shearer for Westlake Girls High and Dalton for Carmel College) it’s fitting these good friends hit the century mark just five days apart.
Dalton was unaware of the milestone she had attained when the Lowdown contacted her.
“To reach 100 games wearing the SMC #10 jersey is very special. I cannot believe how fast my college career is going by, but I absolutely love this journey. Not only is it great to be playing at such a high level, but making such incredible memories along the way.”
Shearer expresses similar sentiments, “It’s been cool to look back and see how far I’ve come and grown as a player and a person since I arrived at Portland.”
With West Coast Conference play underway at the end of the month Dalton is looking forward to that part of the season.
“We are hoping to finish out this non-conference play well and then ready to get into conference play – will be on the court against my best buddy Emme in no time, said Dalton”
The match-up between the pair will be on Thursday January 18 when St Mary’s head north to Portland, the West Coast Conference defending champions.
“It’ll be fun facing Tayla and the Gaels again. We are looking for a strong second half of the season with hopefully more Conference success and another trip to the NCAA Tournament, said Shearer.”
| 100+ Appearances/Starts – NZ Women (*currently playing | ^played 5 seasons) | |||
| 153/78 | ^Tegan Graham (Colgate University, 2017-20/BYU 20-22) | ||
| 145/117 | ^Kendell Heremaia (Fordham University, 2017-22) | ||
| 142/139 | ^Krystal Leger-Walker (Washington State 2020-22/Northern Colorado 2015-18) | ||
| 136/110 | Jillian Harmon (Stanford University Cardinals, 2005-09) | ||
| 135/131 | ^Akiene-Tera Reed (Virginia Commonwealth 2017-21, USC 2021-22) | ||
| 131/128 | Erin Rooney (Monmouth University 2009-11/Fordham University 2012-14) | ||
| 131/75 | Penina Davidson (University of California Berkeley, 2014-18) | ||
| 126/90 | ^Amiee Book (CSU Fullerton 2018-21, Fresno State 2021-23) | ||
| 125/78 | Micaela Cocks (University of Oregon, 2006-10) | ||
| 125/101 | Ashleigh Karaitiana (University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine, 2012-16) | ||
| 123/117 | Stella Beck (St Mary’s College Gaels 2014-18) | ||
| 123/60 | Tessa Boagni (California State University, Northridge Matadors 2014-18) | ||
| 122/70 | Josie Stockill (Colgate University Raiders, 2012-16) | ||
| 121/? | Chevannah Paalvast (Monmouth University Hawks, 2010-14) | ||
| 119/57115/39 | Kayla Manuirirangi (Tulane University, 2016-20)*^Kaylee Smiler (BYU 2018-present) | ||
| 113/? | Megan Compain (St Joseph’s University Hawks, 1993-97) | ||
| 113/51 | Shalae Salmon (Brigham Young University (2016-20) | ||
| 112/23 | Rebecca Dew (University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine, 2008-12) | ||
| 111/? | Margaret Johns (Utah State University, 1979-83) | ||
| 109/42 | Jade Kirisome (Furman, 2018-19, St Mary’s, 2019-23) | ||
| 104/70 | Rhaiah Spooner-Knight (Monmouth 2017-18, Utah Valley 13-16) | ||
| 104/66 | Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe (Hawaii 98-2000, Buffalo 2001-03) | ||
| 102/33 | McKenna Dale (Brown University, 2017-21, Virginia, 2021-23) | ||
| 102/26 | Dru Toleafoa (Santa Clara University, 2015-19) | ||
| 100/10 | Zara Jillings (Fordham University, 2017-20) | ||
| 100/65 | *Tayla Dalton (St Mary’s College Gaels, 2019-present) | ||
| 99/76 | *Emme Shearer (University of Portland (2020-present) | ||
| 96/96 | *Charlisse Leger-Walker (Washington State University, 2020-present) | ||
| 91/23 | *^Tara Manumaleuga (Arizona 2019-21, TCU 2021-present) | ||
| 90/12 | *Charlotte Whittaker (University of Colorado 2019-present) | ||
LACEY LOWDOWN 