And That's a Wrap!

Well, it's all over.  We lost.  And in an appropriate fashion if I might add.  I mean, it just wouldn't be right if we went out with any more than just another thing to say "NOW, I've seen everything", or just a simple "UN-believable..."

We were playing well up until half-time.  We were actually winning by 2.  Fast-forward to a minute left, down by 6, our captain and point guard scores 6 straight points to tie us up with 30 seconds left.  The other team comes down, scores 2, and for some reason our "inbounder" throws the ball to our very uncoordinated guard (her best friend...) instead of our calm point guard (a huge "no-no" in basketball) who continues to dribble across half-court one step and launches it at the goal with 15 seconds left on the clock.  Instead of going to foul immediately, we all stood there for a few seconds paralyzed, not believing what the heck just happened.  The girl made both free throws and we lost by 4.  Unbelievable...

So, the team has to go down a division, so I feel bad for the staff and players that have to remain, but fortunately, I'm off to bigger and better things (God-willing as always).  Somehow I finished 3rd in the league in points scored with 16.1 per game, and I think top in the league in 3 pt. shooting %age at 45.5%.  A personal victory for me.  Points really aren't indicative for me as to how the season has gone, but it did give me a ticket to basically choose my next team.  I have signed another contract with a team still playing in the semi-finals this season.  It will be my biggest test ever!  I'm scared, nervous, and excited at the same time, but I have a whole summer to rest, relax, and improve.

The plan is still to fly into Dallas the day before Jodi plays (Wednesday), and one of my best buddies Kelley Alford will come and pick me up from the airport so we can hang out!  I was accepting the fact that I might be by myself my first night, but that is not the case since she goes to school about an hour away :)  Dad and maybe Morgan will meet us there the next morning before the game.  Jodi's team, by the way, is still 2nd in the nation, so Go Wildcats!

hang tight

My internet's out right now.  We lost Game 1, so if we lose tomorrow, we are finished.  I'll write more either when I get home, or after the season if I can "mooch" some more internet off a teammate.  Say some prayers for us!

Home Stretch!

I think it's pretty obvious what time it is from the picture above.  That is an actual picture of my room in the middle of "packing" mode!  In fact, to keep the integrity of this blog and the state of mind that I'm in, I have not moved a thing since writing this blog.  I'm laying in my bed amongst the mountains and piles of clothes and other stuff.  It's a total mess, but an exciting one :)

We have only 2, maybe three games (9 actual days!) left in this season from Hades.  Teammates are pretty touchy right now too.  We've been through so much this season, and fuses have long been run short.  A lot of things are not being said even though girls are about to explode because we'll all be home in less than two weeks.  Thankfully, I, personally, have no "beef" with anyone, and I hope to leave on those good terms.

(Kiki's always at my house now playing on the guitar... free concerts!)

I've made some good friends this year despite or maybe because of everything (not sure really which one it is).  I'm friends with the Americans and the English as well as pretty much all the Italians.  Kiki, Elena, Mox, and Simona mainly.  I've been blessed to be around Kiki and Elena for two straight years, and those are going to be two lasting relationships.  Kiki has basically adopted me (she's not quite 30 yet), and I now consider her one of my best friends.  I even asked her just this morning to be one of my bridesmaids if she can make it to the wedding next summer (that's the plan anyways!) and she is super excited about it.  She was telling me just yesterday that she wants to plan out the menu and everything, and with Elena's help they'll chose the wines and every course!  I was so touched when they said they would be there if AT ALL possible, along with Daniella and Fabrizio.  Simona plans to try and make it as well.  Such a special feeling to make connections over here, and I realize it's such a rare blessing to make friends on the other side of the world!

At the b-day party at my house. Simona was ecstatic to receive her iPod, and I love my new watch from the team!

Bummer...

Ok, so we lost the series, 2-zip.  We now await Game 3 between the other two teams to see who loses.  We will then play that 3-game series away, home, and away (if necessary).  But you know what?  The beautiful Sicilian weather has finally arrived, and now I know within a couple of days when I will be heading home.  If it's a two game series, I'm headed for the beautiful BR, but if we have to play three, I will leave directly after that away game straight to Dallas to meet my dad for Jodi's conference tourney.  I'm sacrificing my European post-season tour to catch her games.  I know... what's the point of being over here if I don't get to see the world after the season's done???  Family... There'll be time later for world-seeing (God-willing).

Here are the photos from my 24th birthday at the Sicilian family's house.  Daniella and Fabrizio are some of my favorite people ever.  They are AWESOME!  Along with their two boys, Andrea and Paolo.  Of course Kiki was there with me as well as Elena.

Kiki got me a cake :)

Ribera parents, Daniella and Fabrizio!

I popped my first bottle of spumante!

Game 1, Thumbs Down

It was Game One of the Play-OUTS.  We were playing at Umbertide against a former LSU player (and a former AAU summer assistant coach).  We began the game well, but we were without yet another starter who re-injured her knee last game.  We just didn't have enough people, and had a few moments of total collapse.  We were in the game at the end, but couldn't catch up enough.  I think we lost by 6.  We play them again, at home, on Thursday, and if we win, we go back there to play on Sunday.  If we lose, we then play another three game series against the loser of the other side of the bracket.  Let's win!!!  Vinciamo!!!  

Drama, drama, drama... and Play-outs

I've been reluctant to write this blog post.  I've put it off even though it happened on the day of the last one that I put up.  Picture this, and put yourself in our position.  Go ahead, for the next few minutes, consider yourselves apart of our team.  

Remember, we needed to win 2 out of our last four games in order to get ourselves out of last place and into the play-outs to try and save our team from going down to the second division, and we've won 1 out of 2 so far.  This is our last home game, and best chance to get the other win.  We started this game on a Sunday, and it got "rain-delayed" so now we are continuing it today.  Naples was winning by 20 when we quit last time, so we have some work to do.  We battle it out, they're tired from having to stay a couple more days (it's Tuesday by this time) and we win a very exciting game.  We collect a little love from the crowd, and head into the locker room to celebrate a little.  Our "number 1" fan even brought us a bottle of dolce spumante!  Then, I hear our president yelling right outside the locker room and see that it's directed at our American center, who was innocently going to collect her passport, like every game.  He yelled something profane at her and then said that she doesn't decide when she goes home, but he does!!!  Meanwhile, he was waving her passport at her tauntingly like a jerk.  She doesn't understand what he said, but sees her passport and makes a grab at it.  He ends up pushing her away and taking off out the door with us trying to hold this furious kid back.  

His argument was that she was trying to lose on purpose (she had 6 fouls in 15 minutes, including a technical after she fouled out) so that we could go home on April 5th instead of playing in the post-season.  Totally bogus.  

Then other stuff happened with our crazy little Belgian point guard.  She was crying and inconsolable because she thought everyone else thought she was trying to lose too (to prove she wasn't she was pretending to shoot the president and G.M. during the game after she scored).  She ended up in a screaming match with our G.M. and finally left, never to be seen again.  

That's just the basics.  Other teammates were emotionally shocked from all the screaming that they had never seen before, but personally it didn't bother me too much.  I've had 1 or 2 screamers in my day, so that doesn't phase me.  And the stuff that I have never seen before, it just takes a lot to surprise me after this year.  And all this happened because the president felt it necessary that his first words to us in 4 months should have been those, not even letting us celebrate the victory for five minutes after the buzzer went off.  And all this was on my birthday...

Drama, drama, drama.  Did you experience that with us?  Kiki said our team is like the reality show Big Brother.  "This weeks elimination: Marjo the Belgian!"  Thankfully, our American stays on for another week!  

We played great at Parma, but lost in over time.  It didn't matter.  We are in the play-outs, and we're gonna try and save our team even though we haven't been treated the greatest.  Now, if we WIN we finish earlier, so trying to lose won't be even a temptation for anyone.  Our first game of the first round 3-game series starts Easter Monday (we have to travel on Easter....) and it's only a few hours from where all the earthquakes are happening.  They haven't had any effects, so none of the Italians are worried at all, but it is a horrible disaster- almost 300 dead was the count this morning.  Praying for their families.  Pray for us too!

(photos are compliments of Kiki's Uncle Maurizio-- the one with me and Kiki was after the game where I got tackled and we were talking about it!)