Freshmen aren’t supposed to be mature. They aren’t supposed to possess the qualities of seniors in their first year. But Melissa Oliver does.

“The intangibles she brings-hard work, intensity, scrappiness, energy, enthusiasm, heart and desire-are contagious. These intangibles boost the team more than her shooting,” coach Jill Pizzotti stated.

Unfortunately, the Bills lost those intangibles for 13 games this season when she tore a ligament in her left hand against Southern Illinois-Carbondale.

Oliver said, “I was in a splint for a week and a half, then a cast for six weeks, then back to the splint. I was supposed to have physical therapy for four weeks, but I came back after two,” Oliver said. “I have good range of motion now, and the thumb doesn’t hurt.”

Oliver said the injury actually helped her shooting.

“Before the injury, I shot one-handed. But with the cast, I had to leave my left hand on the ball longer.”

This improvement was evident in Oliver’s return Jan. 28 in the Bills game at Tulane. She made her presence felt immediately.

Oliver scored 20 points shooting 10 for 10 from the field for the Bills. It was the best single-game shooting performance in Conference USA league games (surpassing two 9 for 9 games) and tied the SLU record for shooting accuracy.

It was also the best shooting performance in the nation this season.

“If she catches a defender leaning, she’ll go with it. She’s a good penetrator with good strength. She can get knocked around, and it won’t affect her shot,” Pizzotti said.

“She has good size and quickness. We knew she could play a lot of minutes. She can really score well,” Pizzotti stated.

Oliver has provided the emotion and the extra player the Bills needed off the bench.

“We didn’t have someone who could provide the energy she brought. She is another athlete. She brings more depth.

“She has great dribble penetration. Her loss affected the team,” Pizzotti said.

Oliver is shooting 28-42 from the field in C-USA games for the Bills. She has scored in double figures in all but one game since her return.

But what she provides goes far beyond her statistics.

“Melissa Oliver’s intensity, energy, and enthusiasm are contagious,” Pizzotti said.

One example of her intensity occurred after a Bills’ shot against Louisville. The rebound was tipped around. Oliver dove headfirst through a crowd and batted the ball to Kara Wile to continue the Bills’ possession.

Oliver’s comeback has come at a crucial time for the Billikens.

“I felt that going in, we could accomplish a lot in February. But we’ll take it one game at a time. She came back at time that we can make a run. She gives everyone more of a reason to believe,” Pizzotti said.

Oliver knows her role: play hard and provide the energy needed to propel the Bills to a win.

“My job is to keep the intensity up. I have to keep the team’s intensity high.

“I wanted to come back and do my best. Even when I’m tired, I just have to keep going,” Oliver said.