Former Schalmont star Graber making waves for Hudson Valley women's basketball

PHOTOGRAPHER: Erica Miller

HVCC’s Payton Graber against Herkimer’s Hinano Imamura during a women’s basketball game at HVCC in Troy on Jan. 5.

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TROY — Last March, Payton Graber ended her high school career at Schalmont in perfect fashion, walking off the floor at Hudson Valley Community College having led the Sabres to the school’s first-ever state girls’ basketball title.

This winter, she’s started her college career on the very same floor, and things are going just as well.

“It’s crazy to be back on this court,” Graber said Thursday after Hudson Valley’s home game against Herkimer. “I have a lot of special moments here — sectionals on this court, states on this court. It’s very cool to be playing my home games here.”

Graber, a 5-foot-8 freshman guard, ended the fall semester leading all of NJCAA Division III women’s basketball in scoring at 27.2 points per game. She also hit winter break ranking second nationally with 5.7 steals per game, and 26th with 4 assists per outing.

In the Vikings’ first six games, Graber topped the 30-point mark on three different occasions.

Though the team is still finding its legs this season — Thursday’s 69-62 loss to Herkimer dropped Hudson Valley’s record to 3-4 — Graber has acclimated to the college level with little difficulty.

That wasn’t exactly a surprise for Hudson Valley women’s basketball head coach Keith Danzy.

“I watched her during the sectional tournament here, it was just amazing,” Danzy said. “She loves to play in this gym, and we love to have her here.

“She plays with a high level of intensity and energy. She plays on both sides of the floor with a tremendous amount of energy. … She just brings a totally different level of intensity to the game.”

Still, Graber — the most valuable player in both the Section II and state Class B tournaments last season — said she felt a definite step up in the level of play from high school to college.

“It’s definitely a change,” said the guard, who ended a six-year high school career with 2,023 points, most in Schalmont history and ninth-best in Section II girls’ basketball history. “People sometimes look down on juco, say it’s not as competitive, but it’s very competitive and it’s a big change from high school. The girls are bigger, more athletic.”

That step up is precisely why she opted to start her career at Hudson Valley despite interest from four-year schools.

After scoring 21.7 points per game as a senior at Schalmont, Graber’s list of potential college destinations included Saint Rose, Daemen and Post.

Instead, she opted for the junior college route at Hudson Valley, seeking a little extra time to refine her game.

“I just wanted to get a little more exposure,” Graber said, “stay home for another year, and then figure out what I’m going to do next.”

“What better place to come and see where you are than with juco ball?” Danzy said. “Hudson Valley Community College is a great institution, and a great platform that she can come out here and prove to people she can play at the college level.”

Images: Schalmont’s Payton Graber at HVCC (13 photos)

Graber’s proved that with big game after big game, but she was still stunned to start the new year as the nation’s leading scorer.

“I mean, it’s crazy,” she said. “But, I don’t really think about stats. I like getting a win better.”

At the moment, Graber isn’t certain what her plans for next season will hold. She could head to a four-year school if the right opportunity presents itself, but is also open to another season with the Vikings.

“We hope like heck that she stays for two years,” Danzy said, “but our job here is to prepare her for the next level. So, if the opportunity arrives in one year, we’re going to support that and help her get to where she wants to go. Our job is to put them in a position to be successful in the next level of their lives. Whether she stays or not, one year or two years, she’ll have some great opportunities.”

Contact Adam Shinder at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Adam_Shinder.

Images: Schalmont’s Payton Graber at HVCC (13 photos)