Candles are lit one by one inside Neu Chapel at the University of Evansville in the dim light.
The seats are filled with students, student athletes and family, with a lot of UE purple, and somber faces. Family friends and teammates are gathered to remember Jordan Scott, 19, and reflect on her life and time at UE.
Scott, of Newburgh, died in a single vehicle crash on Monday, when her vehicle struck a utility pole in Warrick County.
Attendees listened to speakers like teammate Avery Kelley, who was flanked on the chapel altar by teammates and coach Ben Wierzba.
“This painful grief we're feeling is just the love we have for Jordan that has nowhere to go. But as far as this grief is, I'm grateful for it,” she said. “Whenever we needed Jordan, she was there. She was so selfless.”
Scott loved animals, and making her friends and teammates laugh.
"She'd walk into our locker room, and somehow the room would feel so much lighter," Kelley said. "She always had the most hilarious stories."
Scott had only recently transferred to UE as a pick by Wierzba.
He wrote on the UE website that she could provide a “spark” on the court.
“She had a work ethic,” Wierzba said. “She came in work to work every day. She pushed herself. She wanted to be coached. She wanted to be pushed, and she was a leader. She had a voice within the locker room.”
Wierzba only signed on as coach this spring, with Scott being one of his nine new additions. She never got to play a season game at UE.
When he heard the news of her accident, he experienced “shock and disbelief,” and his job as coach changed immediately.
“I think it's one of those things that you're never prepared for anything like this. As soon as I found out, I was in my car on campus to meet with the girls to be here for them.”
He said they’ve not spoken about basketball at all. Instead, they’ve all spent a lot of time together as a team.
He said the University has provided support for the team.
“They're here for us. They're here for the girls, and that's all we can ask for,” he said. “And everybody's reaching out to help them and help us. It's what it's all about. What's Evansville is about — these people supporting one another.”
In such times, the University activates their “crisis communication plan” which includes counseling for those affected.
Visitation and service are on Saturday September 12th at Neu Chapel.
Scott is survived by her parents — mother, Amy Hansing, father Mario and sister Jayden.
The vigil included words from University Chaplain Rev. Andy Payton, Wierzba, the singing of a hymn and 19 seconds of silence to mark 19 years of life for Scott.
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