May 20, 2020...WELLAND - The Niagara Knights Women's basketball team has picked up the former Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) West Division scoring champion for their roster for the 2020-2021 season.
Bosma spent three seasons with rival Redeemer Royals, where she made an immediate impact in the OCAA. The three-time OCAA All-Academic recipient received numerous accolades over her three-year career with Redeemer, most notably in 2018.
Bosma finished the 2018 campaign as the OCAA West scoring champ with a 19.1 ppg. She also ranked 3rd in the OCAA in rebounds with 262 averaging 13.1 rpg. Bosma's standout year also earned her a West Division Second Team All-Star and CCAA Academic All Canadian.
Upon the conclusion of the 2018 season, the Hamilton native headed West to Trinity Western University to complete her Bachelor of Science: Biology Honours in Langley, B.C. While the intention was to play for the Spartans women's basketball squad, Bosma spent the pre-season with the team before deciding to take a year off. In her final year at Trinity Western, Bosma did a complete 360 and competed for the University's rugby team in 2019-2020- showcasing her talent as an all-around athlete.
When asked about the jump from all things basketball to rugby, Bosma explained that is really wasn't all that different for her.
"Basketball and rugby have a lot of transferable skills despite looking completely different" she said. "I'm looking forward in making the the transition back to basketball- hopefully breaking the habit of only passing backwards," she noted with a laugh.
With career aspirations to become a firefighter, Bosma contacted Knights head coach, Chris Rao, about the possibility of competing for the blue and white in the Fall while attending Niagara to study in the Paramedic program.
Rao, was ecstatic to hear from Bosma.
"I am elated that Jess chose Niagara College" said Rao. "She is a huge addition to our program. More than anything else, Jess is a fantastic person that will be a tremendous asset to the College as a whole."
The six-foot forward will suit up in a Knights uniform to compete in her fourth year of eligibility in this upcoming OCAA season.
