ITALIAN LEAGUE CHAMPS!!!!!

We won!!!!! We finally played like the champions we've been all season long. We crushed them in the first half and were leading by 16 points. It was one of the best halves of team basketball that we've played this year. Our offense was great, but our defense was smothering! Their best player made the huge mistake of guaranteeing a victory on our floor. Very dumb... She finished the night with 3 points and 4 fouls :)

I had one of my best shooting nights in a long time, and one of my best defensive performances as well. Our goal was to just leave all that we had out on the court, and we did that amongst foul trouble for both teams. I'm just really proud of us. And the crowd was amazing! The rowdiest 3000 people I've ever seen. You've never heard a crowd cheer louder for a free throw in the first quarter than they did! You can imagine the eruption after one of my three three-pointers. (What an amazing feeling...) With the help of legalized artificial noise-makers (mostly in the form of blow horns) we couldn't hear almost anything during the game. My ears were ringing when we went in for half-time. I translate for our team before the game and during half-time and I felt like I was shouting the english version of coach's speech. It was probably OK because everyone else was most likely in the same position.

The following celebration was WILD! So many people stormed the court to jump around and sing and hug us that we couldn't hardly move around to find each other. We got treated like rock stars. People just wanting to touch our hands or jerseys. I couldn't hardly smile anymore after all the pictures I took. People were about lined up and were grabbing me and turning me around for a good 10-15 minutes. And about half of those people asked me for my jersey, my headband, my shorts, a shoelace, a ponytail holder, anything! It was nuts. Can't believe we almost missed out on an experience like that. Absolutely priceless.

Jodi in Regionals

In other news, Jodi and the LC Wildcats are the number one seed in their regional that they are hosting in Pineville. So far, they have won their first round game, and they play again today. This is the tourney they need to win in order to make it to the World Series, or the final eight teams, which would be the only way I could see her play since we are in this stinking Game 5 tomorrow. The Montagnino sisters are still both in the hunt for national championships this year. Let's finish strong!

.....................................................................

After two days, they Wildcats are in the championship game today that will be played right after ours. Jodi hit two home runs yesterday!!!!

Not how I planned this in my head...

When you get out-played, out-hustled, and out-rebounded, you're not really supposed to have a chance to win at the end of the game. We did, however. It was a tied game after a 3-ball by our Italian-American guard with about a minute left, and then their best player that had been almost non-existent since the first quarter returned with a HUGE three with someone in her face. We had a missed shot or a turnover on the other end of the floor, and then had to foul. They made some free throws, and I got thrown back in to hit a three, did so, but we just couldn't find a way to win this time. We have lost 2 games in a row for possibly the first time this season, and the 5-game series is now tied at 2 a-piece. We play a "winner-take-all" Game 5 Sunday. Last game of the season either way. We're going home either way. How bad do we want to win? How well can we bounce back after some adversity? I'm curious to find out. And I will always believe in this team.

big time bummer...

We just let a crowd of over 3000 fans down... Not a good feeling. We were losing most of the time and then still had a chance to cut the lead late in the game, but could not make our free throws... We also didn't hit our outside shots like we normally do, and their ace did. We were confident that they couldn't beat us on our home floor, and they came ready to play today, with absolutely nothing to lose... We leave tomorrow to play away thursday, and we CANNOT leave it up to one last game at home. Anything can happen in one game, and we have worked WAY too hard to lose a championship now. No, that can't happen. Gotta bounce back and pull together!

2 down, 1 to go!!!

It wasn't as pretty of a game, but we got the "W"! The other team played a lot of a "box and 1" defense, which is 4 people in a zone defense, mostly guarding an area, and then one player man-to-man following one particular player around. It was more strategic because it's difficult to attack at times, especially if a team is confused on whether to run a "man" play or a "zone" play or the ONE designated play we have for a "box and 1". I was always the one followed around when I was on the court, and another American guard was when she was on the court, so needless to say, we didn't get many touches. It was frustrating at times, but all that goes away when others step up to make plays and make them pay for playing that kind of defense. So, I'm really proud of us, and we are going for the complete play-off sweep on Tuesday!!!

Game 1 of the Finals, W!

We really showed some character tonight as a team. We played on the road in front of a packed house, and it was so loud we could hardly hear each other--artificial noise-makers aren't banned from arenas here, so people just bring horns and other instruments to blow all game long if they want. My ears were ringing when we went in for half-time.

We ended up winning by 8 points, and our back-up point-guard who doesn't normally play much had several big plays for us in the second half. And that's just what the play-offs are all about--people stepping up and playing big for their team during the clutch. Gotta love it!

ASC Champs!

Well, Jodi's team has done it again! This is her 2nd conference tournament title, and Louisiana College's 3rd in 6 years. They won the first game, lost the second, and then had to battle all the way back from the losers' bracket to the championship game. Then they had to beat the current #1 team in the nation twice in order to win it all. Not only did they do that, but Jodi broke the school single-season Home Run record in the sixth inning with a 3-run shot over the centerfield wall en route to a 10-0 victory. So proud of her and their team, and now they wait on the picks for the Regionals that again, I will only make if we win in 3 games in the finals! Unlikely, but let's hope, pray, and play for the best! :)

Pictured above is the "Record Breaker" and below that are the 5 seniors receiving the trophy from the ASC commissioner.