It had been 626 days since Juliet Gordon had last played in a college basketball game when North Dakota tipped off its season back in November. Stepping onto the Betty's court on opening night as a starter against Detroit Mercy was a major milestone in Gordon’s recovery from a torn ACL that wiped out her 2021-22 season, and second on the same knee since 2019.
 
If this were Hollywood, there would’ve been swelling music, slow motion and any number of dramatic effects. But in reality, nothing particularly stood out in that moment for the graduate senior. 
 
“I actually can’t remember,” Gordon said with a laugh when asked about the beginning of that game.
 
That low-key, business as usual vibe might be just how Gordon prefers it. 
 
The gritty, Adelaide, South Australia native has been pivotal to the Fighting Hawks’ best season (18-10, 11-7) in seven years, having just wrapped up a tremendous – and healthy – individual campaign (9.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg). Remarkable as that has been, it’s been the little things that she’s done that’s helped fuel her team. 
 
“We want to be a blue collar team and she’s nothing but blue collar,” Fighting Hawks’ head coach Mallory Bernhard said. “If there’s anyone that was going to be able to [come back from major injury] a second time it was her, and that’s exactly what she’s done.” 
 
Gordon suffered the ACL tear in an exhibition game ahead of last season, an injury that Bernhard said took away one of the program’s backbones, especially when it came to toughness. Prior to this season Gordon told the Grand Forks Herald that she felt healthy, and said that that confidence on her knee – and trust in her trainers and rehab – never wavered as she navigated a full season. 
 
Her comeback injected that toughness into a UND team that had no trouble putting up points throughout the year. Led by Kacie Borowicz (20.1 ppg) and Claire Orth (11.1 ppg), the Fighting Hawks have been explosive, averaging 75.1 points per game while playing at the second-fastest pace in Summit play. 
 
Gordon, the team’s leading rebounder, has been the glue behind those gaudy numbers.
 
“She’s coming off two ACL’s and she’s 5’10 and we’re asking her to play post against some unbelievable post players in this league,” Bernhard said. “The toughness is on display every time she takes the floor.” 
 
That’s a big change from where Gordon was 12 months ago.
 
“Last year I didn’t play a single minute and now I’m starting,” she said. “I’m just super grateful for where I’m at. A year ago I was just learning to run again; I’m just trying to take advantage of every minute I’m on the court.” 
 
From the sidelines, last year Gordon watched her teammates sprint out to a 9-5 start to league play, putting themselves in position to earn a high seed in the 2022 Summit League Tournament. Then, in mid-February, the wheels fell off. The Fighting Hawks would drop their final four games of the regular season, and fade in the fourth quarter in an opening loss to Oral Roberts in Sioux Falls.
 
Bernhard has not avoided the memory of that late season dip.
 
“Our focus has been finishing strong,” she said ahead of last Thursday’s game against Western Illinois. “Last year we felt we were in a similar position and then in the last four games went 0-4 and lost the first game of the Summit League Tournament. This year it’s been a similar format but just let’s finish this thing strong.” 
 
And finish strong they did. 
 
UND heads to Sioux Falls this time around as the three seed, having won six of their last seven games. While that run included a regular season finale loss at St. Thomas, there have been far more positives, such as shining offensive displays in wins over ORU and, more recently, WIU. Borowicz was at her slashing best (31 points, 10-11 FT) against the Leathernecks, the latest in a season that has seen her continue to grow into one of the league’s best players. 
 
Bernhard credited the team’s experience for the strong finish, and the team has gotten big contributions from its graduate class headlined by Gordon, Orth and Joli Daninger. Critically, the team has not let losing streaks snowball in league play. The Fighting Hawks extinguished a three-game losing streak in early January with a late rally to beat Omaha at home, and then followed a two-game losing streak in late January with a big rivalry win over North Dakota State.
 
“This is a really resilient group and every time we’ve hit those bumps we’ve been able to get through it together,” said Daninger in a recent press conference. “This group is special.” 
 
No Fighting Hawk may be more resilient than Gordon, and she fittingly had a monster game (8 points, 14 rebounds) in a dominant Senior Night win over Kansas City a week and a half ago. Now, she’ll look to cap off a remarkable comeback year – and career – with an extended stay in Sioux Falls. 
 
“Any game could be your last,” she said. “It’s just about going onto the floor and being confident and being able to lock people down on defense. We just can’t drop important games this time of year.”