Women's Basketball Canadian Blog #3
August 12, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Aug. 12, 2011
Vancover, Canada - Finally the day we've been waiting for - Game Day! Yesterday was the first time we played against another team. We couldn't wait to step on the court and face a new opponent! There were a few differences in the rules, but we couldn't let them affect our play. In Canada, women play four 10 minute quarters with a 24 second shot clock. Inbounding to the backcourt from the frontcourt is considered a backcourt violation.
Bria, Shoni, Tia, Monique, and Sheronne led us to an early 7-2 advantage. We started off in an aggressive press defense that helped push the lead to 12 by the end of the first quarter.
We started the second quarter with a 9-0 run. And with 2: 51 to play in the half, Asia drove to the basket and dumped a nice pass to Shelby on the opposite block for a layup. She may be 5-4, but Shelby can get big! She finished with contact and earned a trip to the line. Nita was clutch in the final minutes of the half. She anticipated a pass to the wing, stole it, and passed it up to Jude for a fast break layup. She put us up 51-16 at halftime with a rebound and put back at the buzzer. Monique and Sara led the way with eight points each. Shoni dished out four assists and grabbed three rebounds.
Asia opened up the second half with a steal and layup. Our post players started to find a rhythm as Monique threw a nice hi-low pass to Sheronne. Bria caught an offensive rebound in the air and laid it back in with an athletic move. She's definitely something special! Cierra hit a turnaround fade away jumper in the paint to put us up 78-29. That's her favorite move for a reason- it always goes in! With 16 seconds left, Sheronne kicked the ball out to Becky in the left corner for a three. With an 81-29 lead, we were more focused on execution than the actual score. Tia's back-to-back shots in the beginning of the final quarter sparked a 16-2 run.
Jude and Cierra combined for 11 straight points in a two minute span. They were on fire! At the 4:51 mark, Jude hit a crossover at the top of the key and knocked down a pull up jumper from just below the foul line. As Monique would say, "that was cute!" The momentum kept going as Shawnta' stole the ball on an inbounds play. The final score was 110-43 a victory for your Cardinals! Monique led all scorers with 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting. Jude poured in 15 points and dished out five assists. Asia, Bria, and Sara finished with 11 points, while Asia and Bria also pulled in four rebounds. Shoni directed the offense, handing out eight assists.
Coming into the game, we were anxious to see how our freshmen would perform in their first college game. We must say the babies are growing up quickly. We met in Monique's room before the game to go over plays. We learned a lot during our 10 days of practice, so we wanted to give the new players a refresher course. Bria held her own as our starting point guard, moving Shoni to the shooting guard position. As she learns the plays, she'll become more confident with the ball and have fewer turnovers. Sara proved to be a strong force in the paint. Once this lefty becomes more comfortable using her right hand, she'll be unstoppable. Jude came ready to play yesterday! She took over in the second half, driving the ball and finding the open player. Her speed on the fast break led to a bunch of easy layups.
This morning we woke up bright and early to do some regeneration exercises with our trainer Jenn. We've been busy and active, but it's important that we take care of our muscles in between workouts and games. The last thing we want is any preventable injuries. We're taking it easy today until we head out to our game at 3p.m. (that's 6pm ET). We've got an hour and a half ride to Langley Events Center where we play tonight, so I'm sure we'll find a way to entertain each other. Wish us luck! Talk to you soon, Cards fans! - Your Lady Cards
