Women's Basketball Final Canadian Trip Blog
August 15, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Aug. 15, 2011
Abotsford, Canada - Well looks like we're coming back with three wins under our belt. After spending the day on Saturday driving to Seattle to watch former Cardinal great Angel McCoughtry's Atlanta Dream play the Seattle Storm, we were inspired. It's amazing to think that such a great player started off where we are now. We got to talk to her for a little after the game, and she gave us some great words of wisdom. It was awesome for the coaches to set that quick trip up for us. It was just what we needed before driving up to Abbotsford to play the University of Fraser Valley in the last game of our foreign tour.
We started off the game slow, falling behind 1-6 early. At the 6:58 mark, Becky grabbed an offensive rebound and assisted Shawnta's shot, giving us our first field goal of the night. Shoni's three-pointer a minute later put us within one. She hit another deep three to tie the game at 14. With 48 seconds left in the quarter, Antonita went 2-2 from the line, making the score 20-19, our first lead of the game.
From then on, we never looked back. We went on a 21-0 run, sparked by Jude and Bria's active hands on defense. We all know Shoni and Monique make a good combo, but really any Schimmel with Monique is dangerous. Jude had back-to-back assists to Monique during the run. One assist was a loop pass down the court for an easy layup. We bet the coaches loved seeing us use something we do every day in practice. With a minute left in the half, Cierra hit a smooth fade away jumper to give us a 56-30 advantage. Shoni closed out the half passing the ball to Sara in the post for a hook shot.
We kept up the momentum going into the third quarter. Bria did a hop step between two defenders for a layup, extending the lead to 70-35. Shawnta' found Shoni outside the arc on consecutive possessions for a mini 6-0 run. Becky got in on the action, driving down the middle and finishing with contact with 1:09 left in the quarter.
The score going into the final period was 90-39. Jude had two more nice passes to Monique on a fast break. Becky's dribble drive and pull up jumper made the score 100-41. She hit another shot from downtown on the next possession. The final score after a physical but well-played game was 118-57.
Monique led with 20 points, while Shoni recorded 17 points and six rebounds. Asia poured in 14 points and grabbed six rebounds. Cierra and Tia added 14 and 12 points, respectively. Jude remained unselfish and dished out six assists. It's sad to see our time in Canada finally come to an end. It's been awesome experiencing so many new adventures as a team. Who knew we would get everyone to go white water rafting and horseback riding?! The time we've spent together on and off the court is priceless. Not only have we gotten closer with each other, but we've also gotten close with the staff. Little did we know that Coach Sam is so funny. But don't be fooled; when we're on the court, she means business!
During this trip, we learned that support holds our team together. We all have different talents that we can bring to the table, but we need one another to succeed. When one of us is having a bad game, it's up to all of us to pick her back up. We have to keep a positive attitude no matter how difficult the task at hand may be. If we're not focused on our goal, we'll fall short of the expectations we've set for ourselves: Denver or bust! We now know which weaknesses to work on, and we're anxious to start clocking in. There is always room to improve, and we're already getting started!
Before we go, we have to give a big thank you to the University of British Columbia, Trinity Western University, and the University of Fraser Valley for hosting us! We're grateful that the coaches were able to arrange games against three of the most competitive teams in Canada. It has been an unfathomable opportunity! Another thanks goes out to you, Cards fans! You followed us through our time here and showed us support every day. Stay tuned, because we have a historic season ahead for you and for us! Until next time!
- Your Lady Cards
