2021-22 Standard-Times Girls Basketball Player of the Year: Old Rochester's Logan Fernandes

All it took was a little boost of confidence for Logan Fernandes to blossom into the player she is today.

During her first two years at Old Rochester, Fernandes played timid, constantly worrying she would make a mistake.

“I lacked confidence,” recalled the 17-year-old Fernandes. “I was nervous about how I played. I didn’t like driving to the basket. I didn’t want to mess up.”

Once head coach Rick Regan entrusted Fernandes with running ORR’s offense during her junior year, she became a fearless force for the Bulldogs, leading the team to back-to-back South Coast Conference titles.

Fernandes’ poise in pressure situations was crucial to Old Rochester’s run to the MIAA Div. 3 Sweet 16 this year as she played her best basketball in the playoffs.

“She was big in games against good teams,” Regan said. “As the season ended and we got into the tournament, she really stepped up. I thought she played her best late in the year against great competition.”

INTRODUCING: 2021-22 Standard-Times Girls Basketball Super Team and All-Stars

In ORR’s three playoff games, Fernandes averaged 17 points in addition to playing tenacious defense and getting her teammates involved.

“I knew we were in the state tournament and I needed to bring up my game,” she said. “With better competition, it puts the pressure on you.”

Fernandes said she thrives off of pressure.

“I’ve grown up playing basketball my whole life,” she said. “I don’t let the pressure get to me. I try to keep my cool. The more I freak out and rush things, that’s when you get out of that good set.”

“The ball is in her hands a lot,” Regan said. “She’s dealing with constant pressure.

“She’s a smart basketball player and she knows where people need to be. She makes sure people are in the right shots. Her teammates trusted her. They had complete faith in her. She’d hit the open person if she was there. She wanted to see the team be successful.”

On a team filled with young players, Fernandes said she felt it was important to set a good example — on and off the court.

“I always wanted to be their role model,” she said.

TOP HONORS: Introducing the 2021-22 Standard-Times Boys Basketball Super Team and All-Stars

Even though basketball is the sport of choice in the Fernandes household, Logan was reluctant to try it when she was younger.

“My brother (Noah) has always played basketball and my parents pushed me to play too,” she said. “Basketball in my family is a tradition, but I wasn’t into it at first.

“After playing for so long. I found out why everyone in my family loved it. I just found the love for it.”

Fernandes played soccer and cheered when she was in elementary school. She got into basketball in the fifth grade and has never looked back.

“Basketball is my favorite sport,” she said. “I just love basketball. I love those pressure moments. It lets out your true self. I just love the game. It lets me be me.”

BOYS BASKETBALL: 2021-22 Standard-Times Player of the Year: Wareham's Ajay Lopes

Logan said it's been fun following in the footsteps of her older brother, Noah, who led the Bulldogs to a Div. 3 state championship as a freshman in 2015 in his only season at Old Rochester. Noah went on to play for Wichita State and is now at UMass Amherst.

“I honestly loved it because I look up to my brother,” she said. “He’s my role model. When people talk about him, I’m so happy. I’m so proud of him.”

Logan also shares an accomplishment with her parents, Michael and Shikara (Spinola) Fernandes, who were Dave Cowens Award nominees for Wareham High. Logan was a finalist for the 2021-22 Cowens Award this winter.

“I felt so honored to be nominated,” she said. “It made me really happy.

“I hope I leave a really good legacy on the team. I know what it’s like to go on the floor and have no confidence, thinking you can't play. I want to show them they can do it too. Once you gain confidence and you work on yourself, you can be the best player you can be.”

ALL ABOUT LOGAN FERNANDES

WHY SHE WAS SELECTED: Fernandes was at her best on the biggest stage, helping the Bulldogs reach the Div. 3 Sweet 16 with her scoring and facilitating. Teammate Maddie Wright and Bishop Stang’s Bridget Markey also had impressive seasons and were considered for the top honor.

KEY STATS: Fernandes averaged 11.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.1 assists in addition to shooting 75% from the free throw line. She also shot nearly 30% from 3-point range and 46% from the field. Fernandes averaged 16.3 points in ORR’s final four games, including three in the state tournament.

MVP MOMENT: Even though the Bulldogs lost to Walpole in the first round of the Foxboro Warrior Classic, Fernandes said it was her best game of the season as she handled extreme pressure and was a force on defense. “I looked at myself and realized I got better skill wise,” she said. “The pressures they had on me I had never seen before.”

NEW BEDFORD HEAD COACH JORDAN PINA: “She’s a point guard you want on your team. She was their coach on the court. She hasn’t lost an SCC game in three years. That's impressive.”

NOTES: Fernandes is committed to Florida Atlantic University, but is undecided if she'll try to play basketball there. She plans to study nursing. … For ORR basketball, Fernandes was a four-year varsity player, three-year starter and co-captain her senior year. She’s a three-time South Coast Conference All-Star and helped her team go undefeated in conference play over the last three years. … Fernandes said she loved her experience of playing at ORR. “It meant a lot to me,” she said. “My team from freshman year to senior year, it’s been the best. I’ll always have my teammates in my heart.” She also wanted to thank her family. “The support from my family was awesome,” she said. “They never skipped a game no matter what. If they couldn’t come see it, they’d watch it online. It was so nice to have them here supporting me.”

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Old Rochester's Fernandes is Girls Basketball Player of the Year: