St. Xavier’s Ryann Ogarek got a second chance at a second chance.
After spending four years at Lewis but only getting into 50 games, she used a graduate year to play for Benedictine, hoping for a breakthrough. She averaged 14.3 points and 5.9 rebounds in seven games before an injury in December 2023 wiped out the rest of her season.
The Providence graduate still had a year of eligibility left, though, so enter the Cougars.
“It was a little bit hard to adjust but not too much,” Ogarek said. “I had been playing for five years and that helps, but it’s still an adjustment to get used to a new coach and new players.
“But I’m comfortable now, for sure.”
The 5-foot-11 found her comfort zone Wednesday night, producing 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals to lift St. Xavier to a 72-65 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory over Viterbo in Chicago.
Aaliyahna Derrell led the Cougars (14-9, 10-5) with 18 points and five assists. Freshman forward Veronica Bafia (Lockport) added six points and freshman guard Maeve Egan (Mother McAuley) had three.
A big key? Ogarek, who’s averaging 12.7 points and 7.5 rebounds, scored 11 points in the first half to help sink Viterbo (12-12, 5-10), which is in its first season in the CCAC.
Ogarek also has been a welcome addition for Sidney Lovitsch in her second season as St. Xavier’s coach.
“She’s brought a lot of athleticism and a lot of experience,” Lovitsch said. “She’s brought scoring ability, and I think she’s a really good person. In general, if you have good people on your team, a lot of good things will just follow.
“And being good in basketball helps, too.”
Lovitsch wasn’t worried about Ogarek fitting in again with a new team, either.
“It didn’t take long,” Lovitsch said. “We told her what was expected of her coming into the season. We wanted her to take the initiative early on, and she did that.
“I think the girls welcomed her with open arms, and it was easier for her transition.”
It didn’t take some of the freshmen on the team long to needle the 24-year-old Ogarek by calling her “grandma.”
Bafia, who has been trusted to start all 23 games for the Cougars, wasn’t one of them. She knows the value of a veteran presence, considering she was Lockport’s only senior last winter.
“She helps support everyone on the team,” Bafia said of Ogarek. “She’s a great player and helps out everyone.”
That’s particularly important since St. Xavier has a massive roster with 22 players. Time on the court is tough to earn, so being a starter as a freshman is a pretty impressive accomplishment.
“She can do a lot of things well,” Lovitsch said of Bafia. “She has the ability to score and the ability to play defense, and her ability to guard multiple positions is something I think is important.
“We love to have her. She’s working hard, and that’s going to pay off for her.”
Ogarek, meanwhile, will wrap up her college career and then seek a job in the nutrition field.
“I would like to work as a nutritionist for a team so I can stay around sports,” she said. “I’ve always been interested in that part of sports in general. I think it’s an important part.”
Still, Ogarek has some time remaining, so she’ll try to keep the Cougars on a roll. They have a 4-1 record in their last five games, helping them to stay in the upper half of the 13-team conference.
“I think we’ve had a good run and we’re starting to get some more wins again,” she said. “We’re looking forward to the conference tournament.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
