‘“Good, better, best. Never rest until your good is better and your better is best’

Union’s Sammie Griffin concludes remarkable collegiate basketball career at Thomas

Tue, 02/20/2018 - 9:00pm

WATERVILLE — Medomak Valley alumna Sammie Griffin has enjoyed a successful collegiate women’s basketball career that started in South Portland as a member of the Southern Maine Community College women’s basketball program and finished in Waterville at Thomas College. 

The five-foot-four tall Union native said she wanted to play for the Terriers, a NCAA Division III team, for her final two seasons of basketball since the program was rebuilding itself, and that was something she wanted to be part of. 

“Over the last few years I believe it has become a different program and I know it's just going to keep improving,” Griffin said. 

In the classroom, the Thomas College guard said her personal goals “include completely understanding the material and “doing my best to achieve the best grades I can.” 

“The word ‘student’ comes before ‘athlete’ in ‘student-athlete’ for a very real reason,” Griffin said. “Being a good student will always come first.” 

“I have been playing basketball for as long as I can remember,” said Griffin. “There hasn't been a year of my education where I haven't been playing basketball and I wouldn't have traded it for anything. Growing up, I would play outside with my siblings and we'd shoot a basketball around or kick the soccer ball back and forth and that really help develop my love for the game.

“The thing that drew me to this sport was not only for the love for the game but the fact that I had found something I was good at and I knew it was something I could become very passionate about.” 

On the court, Griffin noted her personal goal is to continue improving her game in every way she can.

“There are so many components to being a good basketball player and they can always use improvements,” Griffin said. “This is my last season playing collegiate basketball and I can honestly say I will leave everything I have on the court, not just for myself but for my teammates, too.” 

During her junior season of college basketball, and her first at Thomas, Griffin appeared in 24 contests and collected 399 minutes and 82 points. 

During her senior season, Griffin appeared in 25 contests, starting all 25. Griffin collected 644 minutes and 195 points. 

Once she earns her bachelor’s degree in finance at Thomas, Griffin said she intends on completing her graduate studies at Thomas and has plans to enroll in the university’s accelerated Master of Business Administration program.  

Following her graduation from the Thomas College MBA program, Griffin said she intends on returning to the Midcoast to be close to family and start her career in the area. 

“When I'm home, one of my favorite things to do is go hiking,” said Griffin. “During the summers while I'm home I'll hike before work in the morning or after I get out of work for a sunset hike. Nature is a beautiful thing, especially in the Midcoast.” 

Griffin noted that her favorite sports memory from high school was during her junior year when she tied the record for the school’s most three-pointers (six) in a single game against rival Lincoln Academy. 

In high school, Griffin played four season of varsity basketball with the Panthers, who made it to the Eastern Maine regional finals during her first two seasons. 

After graduating from Medomak Valley, Griffin spent two seasons playing for Southern Maine Community College.

During her freshman season, Griffin appeared in 28 contests and collected 425 minutes and 146 points. 

During her sophomore season, Griffin appeared in 33 games and collected 614 minutes and 228 points. 

The Seawolves made it to the national tournament in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania both seasons Griffin was on the team. 

In fact, Griffin noted her greatest accomplishment is “putting in the hard work and giving the dedication” to assist the Seawolves in making it to the national tournament. 

Griffin noted playing in the national tournament twice was one of the best experiences of her life. 

Despite having very little downtime from being a student-athlete, Griffin said the best advice she can give to any aspiring collegiate student-athlete is to “just go for it” and to “reach out to the coaches of the schools you’re looking into attending.” 

As for what motivates Griffin in life, she noted how proud her family is of her performance on the court and in the classroom is what keeps her striving for success. 

“College has consisted of a lot of sleepless nights and endless hours of studying while always needing to put 100 percent in while I was on the court and at work,” Griffin stated. “I work so hard not just for myself, but for my family, too. My family also truly inspires me, they care so much about everybody and they always try to help people who need it. 

“​They've shown me nothing but support throughout my education and athletics career, missing only few games (they even drove to the Western corner of Pennsylvania, two years in a row) and I couldn't think of better people to surround myself with.”

Griffin noted she would love to visit Greece, which “has a beautiful coastal landscape with many wonderful views.” 

Griffin’s favorite quote comes from her childhood coach Joel Lufkin, who impacted Griffin’s love for the game, who said: “Good, better, best. Never rest until your good is better and your better is best.” 


Reach George Harvey and the sports department at: sports@penbaypilot.com