The trip to Texas was fun and exhausting. After practicing hard TWICE on the 26th, we set off for the airport early on the 27th. We had a few first time flyers but luckily they didn’t freak out. Travel went smoothly. There were no delays or lost luggage, and we entertained ourselves between flights by playing Bananagrams, which is a little like Scrabble. We like to play board games together, and it can get pretty competitive. (Senior guard Amanda "Mondie" Mondrach brought the game, so I posted a picture of just her with it. You can thank me later, Mondie!)
The car rental company lost our van reservation so we had to scavenge for dinner the first night in Texas. We walked a mile to the nearest Mexican restaurant, which was fine because this team will do just about anything to get some food. While waiting for our tables we made friends with some of the locals. One lady gathered our team together and blessed us, which must have worked because we played and practiced well the rest of the trip. I guess we should probably thank her! :)
The next day, after practice, Coach let us explore San Antonio. We took a boat tour (see picture) on the River Walk and shopped, of course. A group of us decided to go to dinner at Dick’s, which is a restaurant where the waiters are intentionally rude to you. We’ve all dev
eloped pretty tough skin from joking around with each other, so we had a good time, despite the insults.Our games against Trinity and Mary Hardin-Baylor were a blast. They were the kind of games that remind you why you love basketball. The energy was crazy. Everyone, even those who didn’t see a lot of playing time, helped bring intensity. The buzzing (like yellow jackets) from the bench really helped set the tone! Haha!
Both games were a great team effort. There were a variety of contributions which led to our victories. Whether is was by scoring, getting tough offensive boards, making great steals, finishing "and-ones", or cheering, everybody helped. We had some younger players step up and senior guard Jessica (Butz) Butzer definitely sparked us. Even though we always have a team-first attitude, we were excited for those few who set great career highs.
Ultimately, the best experience of the trip was getting to celebrate two good wins with my teammates, who are also my best friends!
Needless to say, we were all pretty tired by the end of our four day “vacation.” However, that didn’t stop some energetic freshmen from running into our room, screaming, while we were dead asleep. One senior, I won’t name names, was so startled that she dove out of her bed and onto the floor. It was hilarious, but not at the time, and I never will forget it.
After getting a day off and one practice in, we played Heidelberg, another OAC team. We won 91-41, and everyone who dressed contributed on the floor, which was awesome! Again we had a bunch of career highs, and a lot of fun cheering each other on. Now we have to get ready for Otterbein tomorrow! STING 'EM! Bzz!
Junior Center Ariel Brough, #45
