Palpable suspense hung in the air like a pendulum caught at the apex of its swing.

Grad student Aisha Martin was two points away from a coveted 1,000.

The clock ticked down, each second creating more anticipation.

Then with 2:46 left in the game, the Panthers reclaimed the ball.

Martin took it down the court. She leapt into the air.

The crowd cheered as she dropped the ball into the hoop, scoring 29 points that night to reach 1,000 in her career.

“She’s been in the program now for five years, and she just brings leadership. She’s grown a lot as a player,” said Bryan Harvey, head women’s basketball coach.

Harvey has been the coach for Martin during her entire time here at Ferrum, giving him a front-row seat to her journey and the progress she has made during it.

“While she was super talented when she was younger, she wasn’t always a leader, not a bad kid by any means but she let her emotions get the best of her a lot of the time. She struggles with that at times, but the amount of growth she’s had over the last five years is tremendous,” said Harvey.

Martin’s growth from a burning talent to a mature player is what Harvey believes is the highlight of her time within the Panther program.

“When she first got here she was super, super talented, but I think she over time has figured out our system. How to be a leader, how to respond when things get tough, and I’m just super proud of the growth that she’s had in her time here,” continued Harvey.

With all that said, character growth isn’t the only thing that the grad student has to flaunt from her time here, she also hit quite the scoring milestone, 1,000 career points, an achievement Martin felt the weight of.

“When I decided to come back, I realized, ‘Oh wow, I’m only like 80 points away.’ So when I hit it, I definitely felt like really good because I wasn’t expecting it. And seeing how big of a deal it is it makes you feel good,” said Martin.

Her coach understood the type of milestone this was, too, as it was part of his bait to reel in a fifth year of hooping from the player.

“When she finished two years ago, she was close to a thousand points,” Harvey said. “When she thought about coming back last year, one of the things I tried to entice her with is like, ‘Hey you’re right at that thousand point mark.’ So I’m was hoping that would encourage her to come back and reach that milestone because not a lot of people do.”

It was more than just a persuasion tactic, though. It also became an achievable reality on the home court this season.

“The night she got it, we had a home game and then a couple of road games,” said Harvey. “I was hoping she could get it at home. I wanted her to be able to get it here in Swartz gym in front of her family. She had to have 29 points that night to get to a thousand, which is a lot. We weren’t really planning it that night, but as we got closer and knew she had an opportunity, I said, ‘Let’s figure out a way to make it happen.'”

And find a way they did.

Despite no initial plan, that game led to Martin reaching a highpoint few people in Ferrum’s history have ever attained.

“There’s a little bit of pressure when you get to that point,” Harvey said. “Sometimes they know. Sometimes they don’t. But I think there’s a little bit of pressure when you get to there, and sometimes you try to force it.”

Harvey said he was delighted with the moment.

“I was proud of her,” he said. “I didn’t think she tried to force it. It’s an honor. Only 23 people in the history of the school have done it.”

Even with this achievement adding to Martin’s basketball resume, accolades weren’t what brought her to the college court.

Personal drive and mentality were.

“Coming into college, I never really cared for the records, never cared about breaking scoring titles. I just wanted to win games, that’s who I am, and that’s who I always will be,” she said.

Martin said she has always had this strong mindset since before college. It’s a mindset that has been cultivated since her time at home growing up.

“I’ve been playing basketball since I can remember. I grew up with four brothers, so we have always been really competitive, and basketball was the one sport I could differentiate from them,” she said.

Even with this competitive framework, Martin wasn’t always planning to hit the college court until some coaches showed her the path.

“When high school came, and I started to shine more than other players, I didn’t really think college was a possibility for me. Then my junior and senior year I had a couple high school coaches, and they said, ‘Lets buy in,’ and I realized I could play at the college level,” said Martin.

Coaches helping her pave a path didn’t end at the high school level, her college decision had a lot to do with their influence as well.

“The coaches came to a lot of my games,” she said. “They were consistent with recruiting me, and when I came on my visit here, I realized how much of a community, family atmosphere it was, and I realized that this was the school for me.”

With the decision to come to Ferrum, Martin went through her first four years and then graduated. She still had a year of eligibility left, and she decided to return for a masters program.

“There was thoughts of transferring–maybe trying somewhere new,” she said. “But it came down to: I knew where I stood here, and that we had good talent coming in, and I didn’t really wanna play for another coach because I already have a relationship with Coach Harvey. He understands me, and I understand him, and I knew we could make something happen this year.”

For Martin this coach and player bond were the building blocks of her personal growth through her time as a Panther.

“Freshman and sophomore year–I was a little less controlled back then, and he would always go to bat for me and defend me,” said Martin. “When people are like, ‘What kind of player is she really?’ but he he said, ‘A lot of people don’t know who Aisha Martin really is’, and he would defend me and understood me on a whole other level that the fans don’t. They just see us in action and not behind the scenes. Coach Harvey really helped me grow and become the person I am today.”

Harvey shared that same sentiment, as he sees who she is both as a player and as a person.

“A lot of times, when you watch Aisha, you just see her on the court, and she’s a competitor, and she’s got an edge to her, and that’s what most people see. But they don’t see the Aisha I see off the court. She’s a completely different person on and off the court, and I love her,” confided Harvey.

He not only feels that she is a different person on and off the court but that she has changed into a different person that shines as a beacon for what people can attain.

“She’s become a leader. When she speaks, everybody listens,” Harvey said. She’s not only one of the better players, she’s also one of the hardest workers on the team, and I think that sets the tone.”

He said there are times he and Martin can sit in the locker room and talk with younger players who aren’t responding the right way.

“We can use Aisha as an example,” Harvey shared.

Her work ethic and drive in the sport aren’t the only source of pride that Martin provides for her coach. Her ability to excel in other fields builds that as well.

“She’s a great person, a great student. She’s all A’s in the classroom, works hard, and cares about her teammates and wants to have a positive impact on our program. I’m really proud of the person she is and the player she has become,” boasted Harvey.

Martin also shares the feeling of being a different person when she steps off the court and into the world outside of basketball.

“Outside of basketball, I might be really competitive on the court, but outside of the court, I think I’m a really genuine, caring person,” she said. “I grew up in a big family where a lot of people look to me to lead, and I have my close-knit friends who I would go to bat for, and I really try to just kind of keep to myself.”

Martin and Harvey aren’t the only people who recognize her abilities and prowess on the court.

“Aisha is a really good teammate, I played with her as a freshman so having her come back now while I’m a junior is really nice,” said Allyson Cassel, junior. “Aisha is such a good player. Without Aisha on the floor, we don’t play as well as a team because she takes so much attention. She gets me the shots that I need to get.”

Her teammates also see the other side of her that doesn’t show up while she is playing and on the court.

“She’s pretty quiet. She kind of stays to herself, but she’s really nice, and she’s always there to help you out,” finished Cassell.