Rachel Rieder has only one complaint about her time with the Mansfield University women's basketball team.

It was too short.

The Cranberry Township native and Seneca Valley High School graduate recently played her last game for the Mountaineers, completing a two-year stint with the team after transferring from California (Pa).

"It's been a very positive experience for me," said Rieder. "I just wish I would've come here right out of high school. I accomplished a lot in two years, but I could've done more with four."

Entering the last game of the season Feb. 28 against PSAC-East rival West Chester, the Mountaineers still had playoff hopes.

But Mansfield dropped an 85-58 decision, ending the team's season.

"It was a devastating loss," said Rieder. "This was the second year in a row that we came close. And it shouldn't have come down to the last game."

Rieder did her part in the game, scoring 22 points and grabbing eight rebounds to lead Mansfield's effort.

"I couldn't have been happier for her," said Mountaineers' coach Ruth Henderson-Hermansen. "That's one game she'll always remember."

The season remains a stepping stone for Mansfield, as the Mountaineers (14-16) tallied the most wins in a season in school history.

"Fourteen wins might not sound like a lot to some people," said Henderson-Hermansen. "But they are here at Mansfield."

Rieder contributed by starting 26 of 30 games and averaging 9.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. The senior ranked second in the PSAC with 41 blocked shots, making her Mansfield's all-time leader in blocks with 89.

The performance came at a new position for Rieder: forward.

Last season, Rieder stepped in for injured center Alison Tagliaferri and averaged 9.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest.

Tagliaferri returned this year, but Rieder's play earned her a starting spot on the floor, albeit at a different position.

"I'm sure there were times when she wanted to be down low," said Henderson-Hermansen. "But her face-up game is much better than (Tagliaferri's), so we needed her at forward."

"I had always played center," said Rieder, who stands

6-foot-1

. "But this year, playing the four, I was on the perimeter and took some threes. I made some of them and that made me feel more comfortable at the position."

Rieder made five of 13 three-point attempts (38.5 percent) from beyond the arc; not bad for a converted center.

"I don't think this team will realize Rachel's true value until (next year) when she's not out there," added Henderson-Hermansen. "Rachel is never about herself, she's always about the team. This program wouldn't be where it is today if it wasn't for her effort the last two seasons.

"There's going to be some big shoes to fill, and we'll have to wait and see if anybody can step up next year," said Henderson-Hermansen.

"I know she wishes she would've come here out of high school, but I don't know if that would have been possible. She ended up taking a full-ride to Cal, and we simply don't have that kind of money to attract players."

While Rieder's playing days appear to be over, the education major isn't about to leave basketball behind.

"I would really like to move into coaching the game," she said. "I've been helping out with the (Mansfield) junior high team.

"It's part of the reason I want to be a teacher," she said. "There's a lot of similarities between the two."