A team-first mindset and hardworking mentality are intangibles that are hard to come by. Fortunately for the CSUSM women’s basketball team, the Student Athlete of the Month, Brianna Higgins, provides just that.

“I think just being a senior and having [two] games left, I’m just going all out and doing whatever I can, not only for myself, but for my teammates and my coaches,” said Higgins when asked about her work ethic.

Statistics are not a concern for Higgins. Her focus on the moments that take place while battling on the court take precedence over any stat she tallies up.

“I’m just playing. It doesn’t matter to me when we lose, what my stats are,” Higgins said. “You just get so caught up in the heat of the moment, in the game and the momentum that you take it one play at a time.”

Higgins is a team leader in rebounds, averaging 6 per game, racking up a total of 132 rebounds over the course of 22 games  Although Higgins does not seek recognition for her performance on the court, her recent award is a natural culmination of all the effort she puts forth for her sport and her team.

“It’s not something that I kind of set my mind to … [but] you always hope that your hard work gets acknowledged,” said Higgins.

Reflecting on the team as a whole, she said she thinks following this season’s team mantra, “everything matters,” will be the key to getting on track.

In comparison to last season, the 2015-2016 squad has virtually the same record at this point of the season with just three less games played (6-17).

“Sometimes we let just these tiny things be the difference in the game, so I think once we learn to realize that every little thing matters and can really be the difference, that will kind of set us over,” said Higgins.

There are two types of leaders in sports. One being the vocal leader and the other being those who lead by example. For any athlete who desires to be great on and off the court, Higgins has the formula to follow as she leads by example.

“She’s been a great leader for our program and [as a coach] to be able to inherit a program and have one senior who’s like Bri, who comes in everyday, who works her butt off, who kind of just embodies everything we wanted our team to be, that’s really special,” Head Coach Renee Jimenez said. “She’s going to go on and do some great things. We’re absolutely lucky to have her.”

Here’s to hoping Higgins and the team finishes off the season on a high note.