LAKE MARY, Fla. – Rising Gettysburg College senior Emily Gibbons (Annapolis, Md./Severn School) will showcase her skills internationally this summer after being selected to play for the USA D-3 Women's Basketball Team for an upcoming trip to Brazil on July 17-26.
Gibbons will join 18 other men's and women's Division III basketball players from around the country for the week-long trip. The teams will practice in the city of Jundiai in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on July 18 and conduct a clinic for local youth at Club Jundiense. A four-game schedule begins on July 19 in the city of Araraquara against the local professional teams. On July 20, the USA D-3 teams travel to Rio de Janeiro where they will face Mesquita on July 22 and Queimados on July 23. The schedule concludes at Fluminese in Rio on July 24.
The teams will experience aspects of Brazilian life through city, school, and sports club visits during the trip. While in Rio, the team will be staying at Copacabana Beach and touring the Christ the Redeemer Statue and Sugar Loaf Mountain, two of the most recognizable landmarks in the world.
"I am so thankful for the opportunity to represent both Gettysburg College and our women's basketball program in Brazil," said Gibbons. "Having the chance to play with other division three athletes from around the country for the United States is truly humbling."
Gibbons made her mark as one of the top Division III players in the country this past season. The forward was named D3hoops.com All-America Honorable Mention after averaging 18.9 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. She broke the program records for points (530), rebounds (372), and double-doubles (22), while finishing among the top 10 in the nation in rebounds (3rd), field goals made (4th), double-doubles (4th), defensive rebounds per game (5th), and rebounds per game (7th).
Gibbons set a Centennial Conference standard with 14 consecutive double-doubles during the season. In a game at McDaniel College, she became the first Gettysburg player ever to record at least 30 points and 20 rebounds. Gibbons was named CC Player of the Year, All-CC First Team, and All-Mid-Atlantic Region First Team.
Entering her senior campaign at Gettysburg, Gibbons ranks top 10 in program history in defensive rebounds per game (1st, 6.6), field-goal percentage (4th, .536), rebounding average (4th, 9.3), defensive rebounds (6th, 500), scoring average (7th, 13.7), field goals made (7th, 435), and rebounds (10th, 705). She is also just one of four Bullets to reach 1,000 career points in three seasons.
A three-time all-conference selection, Gibbons has guided Gettysburg to 55-23 in her first three seasons. The team finished 20-8 overall and was runner-up in the conference tournament in 2016-17.