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LEWISTON — “Do you. Be us.”

Those four words have reverberated through the Bates College women’s basketball team’s locker room all season, but were perhaps most present during last weekend’s 74-70 overtime victory over No. 6 Smith to clinch a spot in the NCAA Division III tournament’s Sweet 16. 

“Playing your best basketball while still keeping the team in your mind first,” said junior Mya Hicks of the team’s mantra. “And I think that’s something that I’ve really tried to keep in mind personally this season, as I’m playing with a lot of talented girls. Any 16 of us could be on that floor at any given time, and that’s a privilege.”

Against the Bears, Hicks finished with a career-high 19 points and hit five 3-pointers — one of which tied the game at 60 and forced overtime, keeping Bates’ hopes of completing an 18-point comeback alive. 

“Really, it was just one possession at a time, trying to do what I could do, but once I made two (3-pointers), I was like, ‘OK, I’m feeling it today,’” Hicks said. “When it’s in my hands, I’m going to let it fly, and I just have full confidence in myself that the next shot’s going in, which is something that’s hard for any basketball player to maintain, but it’s definitely helpful when you have such a great community behind your back.”

Interestingly enough, Hicks’ season-saving basket was drawn up for someone else. She ran the play wrong, but it didn’t matter. The ball found its way to Hicks and she came up clutch.

“The shot was supposed to be for our amazing, amazing guard, Sarah Hughes, but I messed it up,” Hicks said. “I forgot to take my cut in the opposite direction, so it was really just making a read. Sophie (Spolter) had that great drive, which allowed me to get some free space, and so I knew if I messed up the play, I had to take the shot right there.” 

Hicks’ career night wasn’t some fluke. 

Bates (26-3) may have more frequent high-volume scorers like senior Elsa Daulerio (13.8 ppg), junior Sarah Hughes (11.3 ppg) and senior Sophie Spolter (9.2 ppg), but coach Alison Montgomery wasn’t surprised Hicks met the moment. 

“What’s so funny is, I totally understand how someone from outside our program, and obviously also just based on the numbers, people are like, ‘Oh, my gosh, what a huge game,’” Montgomery said. “I think for me as (Hicks’) coach, I’m like, ‘Yeah, of course she did that.’ I think just knowing how capable she is of that.”

Hicks, who is from Ann Arbor, Michigan, is comfortable in her role, even if it doesn’t always include the scoring that proved to be such a difference-maker against Smith. Her job is to be a utility-type player who helps the Bobcats by stepping up where and when needed.

“My role is very specific on this team, and I do that role with pride,” Hicks said. “And usually game-tying shots, usually not my shot that I usually take, but in that moment, I knew my teammates had all the confidence in me. I had all the confidence in that moment. … Super surreal moment, and what a way to go out in Alumni (Gym).” 

With so many options on Bates’ roster, Montgomery said it can be difficult to manage roles on the team — a problem that manifested against Smith.

“That’s another thing you’re constantly balancing as a coach, in terms of roles and wanting people to feel like, OK, even if they’re not the leading scorer, how do you bring out that capability?” Montgomery said. “And so (Hicks) has it, and she’s had it and she’s contributed in that way all year, but I just think, as an upperclassman, as someone who just really found the confidence to know like, ‘OK, I need to step into this moment,’ it didn’t surprise me at all.

Before Hicks found her rhythm from the field, she found herself in foul trouble, having picked up two fouls in the first four minutes. 

Montgomery said being able to regroup and come through in the clutch showed Hicks’ maturity as a player. 

“I think that’s actually a thing, specifically for (Hicks), that she has been trying to manage in the last two years of her career, just being a little bit foul prone and figuring out … she’s very physical, very strong, usually matched up against a bigger opponent, too, because we’re a little smaller,” Montgomery said. “So she’s in that position a lot.”

Bates will play No. 2 Scranton (29-0) at 7 p.m. Friday at the John Long Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania. 

As the Bobcats prepare to take on the undefeated Royals, Hicks said she and her teammates are soaking in the moments they have left together, knowing that the roster will never be the same as it is this season.

“We’re just playing with all the confidence,” Hicks said. “We know that we’ve done a lot of hard things this season. We’ve come back from a lot of difficult things, and so we’re battle tested and ready for any challenge that’s going to come on Friday.”