When it comes to producing college basketball players, the IAC has been able to do so at a staggering rate. The next class of local stars will hit the court this winter, including a Dryden standout.
Giuliana Pascarella will venture to SUNY Canton to continue her basketball career. The Roos have put together a solid run of form over the past six seasons under head coach Chris Klassen. Excluding his first year in charge in 2020-21 when they only played four games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have not had a losing season under Klassen. It’s that sort of consistent success that Pascarella wanted to be a part of.
“My main factor in making my decision was how he welcomed me in and showed me the team,” Pascarella said. “He made me feel like family, even after not really knowing him. He runs a great program. I also needed a good nursing program because that’s going to be my major, and they have a really great nursing program up there, and that’s really what solidified everything.”
Canton is a relative newcomer to the SUNYAC, having joined the conference just two seasons ago. The conference features quite a few IAC players, including Lansing’s Marissa Nolan, who will be a freshman at SUNY Plattsburgh, and Southern Cayuga’s Charli Bennett, a rising sophomore at defending champions SUNY Cortland. Having faced that caliber of talent in high school, Pascarella is ready for the step up in competition.
“I feel very prepared because most of the people I’ve played with are moving on to college,” Pascarella said. “Knowing that I’ve been playing with and against college-level players has definitely pushed me more. They know what my strengths are. They know what my weaknesses are. They’ve helped me get to that next level and know that I am ready for it.”
Pascarella enjoyed a strong four-year career at Dryden, highlighted by IAC All-Star First Team nods during her junior and senior seasons. She was Lions’ biggest scoring threat over the past few seasons, but it’s her basketball IQ she believes has grown the most since her freshman year.
“I’ve definitely gotten better at ball handling and knowing when to take the open shot and when to drive,” Pascarella said. “I know when to take those shots and get those other scoring opportunities and also how to look for the open person and have that kind of scoring opportunity, as well.”
While Pascarella will not immediately be the main scoring option at Canton, she knows she’ll find plenty of other ways to contribute to the Roos’ quest in winning a SUNYAC title.
“I’m hoping to bring a good team dynamic,” Pascarella said. “I think coming in as a freshman, my strong suit is being that team player, cheering my teammates on, and then hopefully when I get playing time on the court, finding the open person, taking the open shot. I’m really hoping to just be able to bring up that team dynamic that they already have in that culture.”
Outside of basketball, Pascarella has quite the unique story in another sport. During her entire high school career, she was also on the baseball team. As the first girl ever to play Section IV baseball, Pascarella is a trailblazer who hopes more aspiring ballplayers follow her path.
“I feel great about it,” Pascarella said. “I feel like a leader and an inspiration for some of those younger girls that do play baseball and are told to switch to softball. I feel like I’ve become a role model for certain girls. It’s awesome.”
Pascarella has been playing baseball ever since she was four years old, so she has seen firsthand how much girls and women playing the sport has grown. This summer, Pascarella took part in an all-girls baseball tournament in Illinois. Participation went up from 600 last year to 1,000 this year. Combined with the inaugural season of the Women’s Pro Baseball League, the trend of female baseball players shows no signs of slowing down.
“It’s a crazy jump,” Pascarella said. “I think more girls are more confident to be able to play the sport, play alongside boys, and show that they truly belong.”
Coaching Pascarella throughout both her basketball and baseball careers was her father John. It will certainly be a different feeling as she’s guided by a new coaching staff at Canton, but the lessons she learned from her dad are sure to carry over to the next level.
“He was the person that pushed me the hardest,” Pascarella said. “I would not have been where I am today with playing baseball for the school, playing basketball, moving on to college without him. He was always willing to work with me one-on-one. Even if he and I got a little mad at each other because he’s my father and also my coach, he always had the best advice, the best work to give, and he just really pushed me to my limits.”
