March 4
In the four years that I’ve been at JU, there has always been a consistent division of our season into three parts. We place the first nine of our games in the first part of season, the next 20 in the second part and the competition for the championship into the third part.
This past week we wrapped up the second part of our season here in Tennessee. Our 10-day trip has been going well. There was definitely some snowfall the other night that I didn’t necessarily agree with but that’s only the Floridian in me!
This past Thursday, we faced Lipscomb and Saturday we faced Belmont. Our season schedule is kind of like a good essay - we finish our season against the same opponents we opened our conference with.
Thursday we anticipated a better team than we had faced all the way back in early December. We knew that Lipscomb had shooters on the perimeters and post players that could take you off the dribble or post up hard. Unfortunately for them, we weren’t the same team either.
We started the game slow and Lipscomb took a 7-0 lead going into the first media timeout but we were able to get our act together. A lot of our offense is often attributed to our intense defense and such was the case in this competition.
Our defense helped us to gain control of the game and we never looked back- taking a 29-point lead to close out the win for us.
The win over Lipscomb added more accomplishments for the women’s team in the record books. We broke our own record for the number of opponents that we held to under 50 points.
Saturday’s game against Belmont was our final regular season game. The first time around we shot a dismal 11 percent in the second half - making only four field goals.
This game seemed as though history wanted to repeat itself only this time around the halves were reversed. We shot terribly from the floor at 12 percent in the first half.
We had several opportunities to take the lead and even win the game but we could not hit shots. Our defense helped to hold a fairly good team to only 45 points but because of our inability to score buckets we scored even less - finishing the game with 43.
The low-scoring affair capped off the final regular season game of my senior year along with my senior teammates Regina “G” Omoite and Virginia “VG” Gregoire. Unfortunately, VG was still out for us - recovering from an ankle sprain from our last home game.
I find myself looking back and realizing that each game that I played was the last time I’d have the opportunity to leave it all out on the floor in an organized collegiate competition.
I can’t help but look forward to the third part of our season and it all starts today. I’m not completely ready to walk away from it.
Today we will be taking on Lipscomb in their house once again in the first round of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. We all know that this will be a much different game this time around.
The stakes are higher. I’m not ready to call it quits and I’m fairly sure that I have all 13 of my teammates behind me saying the same thing.
Everything that has happened this season is pretty much washed away and anything can happen. Our conference is up in the air and hopefully we’ll come out on top.
The other day we watched our men’s team capture the regular season championship over Belmont and I was extremely proud to be a Dolphin. They’ve come a long way. Our season hasn’t gone as well as we had hoped but we can still go home with the hardware.
I couldn’t be more pumped about the start of a new season. All of the aches and pains of the long, hard season will disappear at the tip and what you leave on the court is all that will be remembered.
I’m hoping to leave behind a new legacy for JU. I want to go out as a champion, but we have to take it one game at a time. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. (7 p.m. back home) on CSS. I hope that those of you that aren’t present will tune in! Wish us luck!!!
February 26
Heartbroken, upset, determined, swindled even. Those are only a few of the words I could think of to describe how my teammates and I felt after Saturday’s loss.
After defeating our cross town rival North Florida on Monday, we had two more games for the week. With our win over Stetson it gave us our fifth win in a row for the second time this season.
Against the Stetson Hatters, we had three people in double figures. Senior guard Virginia “VG” Gregoire led all scorers with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists. Crystal Grable added 13 points and Courtney “C4” Jackson chipped in with 10 points to round out our top scorers.
The lead went back and forth but we had a huge 19-2 that took us into the half with a 30-23 lead. The Hatters pulled within six in the second half but could not produce a bucket in the last five minutes thanks to our intense defense.
It was our sixth straight win over the Hatters.
In the last home game of the season - senior night for me and the fellow elders Regina Omoite and Virginia Gregoire, we faced the Eagles of Florida Gulf Coast.
We knew it would be a tough game coming in. They have a busy style of play and constant screens.
As a team, we played extremely well. The game was extremely exciting as both teams made runs and big plays. We maintained the lead for 39 minutes and about 59 seconds. There were several extremely controversial calls made by the referees but none more memorable than the call made within the last minute.
Although we had a seven point lead in the last two minutes, the Eagles found ways to score. We led by two as clock ticked down. After a great defensive effort by Taneskei Richardson and a great rebound by Courtney Jackson, a referee called a jump ball and another called a foul. The foul was called first, but it was overturned and the call went in the Eagles favor.
To top it off, the girl I was guarding came off a double screen and nailed a three-pointer to seal our fate.
It hurt to see all of our hard work be taken away at the last second. There were many emotions in the air after that game.
Being that it was senior day, our parents and families were there. I was thrilled all weekend to be around my mom, sisters, nieces and nephew. It was the second time I think my mom had seen me play. It was the first time Regina Omoite’s mom and grandmother got to see her play. Several members of Virginia Gregoire’s family were there along with the family of several of my other teammates.
Unfortunately, for VG she got injured during the first half. We missed her ability to make big shots and I was sad that her family didn’t get to see her in action.
It was wonderful to see all of the support we had but it did make up for the fact that I no longer have anymore games harder to swallow.
We have two regular season games left. Today we face Lipscomb and Saturday we face Belmont. There are many different scenarios that could result from this week’s competition.
If we win both of our games we’ll go into the conference tourney in second place. If we win one of the two I think that will put us in third. The lower we are the tougher the road to the championship.
Our conference is up for grabs and I think it’s all going to come down to who wants it the most and who is going to play the hardest and the smartest. We have it in us to win and it’s me and the other two senior’s last opportunity to go out on top.
Wish us luck as we take on Lipscomb tonight!
Feb. 17
Hey guys, pardon me for my hiatus. I have to be honest with you, all my prioritizing was thrown off a bit but I’m getting back on track.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine’s Day- I sure did. We had practice early and we had the rest of the day to ourselves. It was nice to relax.
Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. It’s always nice to show everyone that they’re loved each and every day, but Valentine’s Day is the one day you can be outrageous with it and not get strange stares!
I’ve definitely been gone a while so I’ll bring you guys up to speed!
We’ve picked up our intensity since I last wrote. We’ve faced Kennesaw and Mercer on the road and Campbell this past Thursday here at home. All three games were fairly intense.
We knew the game against Kennesaw would be quite the contest at their house. Crystal “CG Baby” Grable carried us this game, scoring a team high 13 points and grabbed eight boards. It was as though she couldn’t miss in the first half.
Kennesaw was unable to withstand our defensive pressure as we forced them into 27 turnovers. We also shot well from the floor at 45%. The Owls were able to cut it close with less than two minutes left but we were able to sustain and pull out the victory.
Next, we faced the Campbell Camels in the first of our last four home games of the 2008-2009 season. We opened the game strong and went into halftime with a 23-point lead. We also shot well in this contest at 46% and we had five people in double digit scoring.
Our defense made yet another statement as we forced the Camels into 28 turnovers. They struggled to find an answer for our offense and we came out on top winning the third game in a row.
Monday night we faced our cross-town rival the University of North Florida. The Osprey’s have been playing well and gave us a run for our money, so to speak.
We owned the first half and played really well as a team. We were able to go into half time with a 23 point lead.
The second half didn’t flow as easy for us. It was as though we got complacent and allowed the Ospreys to claw their way back into it. Unfortunately, we went on a nine minute scoring drought and the Ospreys made a huge run to eventually tie the game.
We maintained our composure and made some huge baskets and defensive stops down the stretch to close the game out. We lost the battle of the boards but had three people in double figures.
We’ve won our last four and are hoping to continue making strides as we get closer to the Atlantic Sun Tournament. I’m starting to slowly realize that the next three weeks will be my last in a Jacksonville jersey. I can’t help but think of the many things that I’m going to miss but I know that I will walk away with so much more than what I came in with.
As for everything else, the season is about to come to a close but we have our last road trip. It will last 10 days. We are all panicking a bit- student-athletes, coaches, and professors alike. Ten days is a lot of class to miss. Especially, with tougher class like math and chemistry that I am sure a few of my teammates are in.
We are all fairly disappointed with the scheduling but none of us can do anything to change it. I hope our freshmen will be able to sustain and I’ll do my best to assist them over the next few weeks.
I have missed writing terribly and I don’t think I’ll be away for so long again. I hope you all are well! Look to hear from me again soon!
P.S.- I hope you all enjoyed VG’s interesting commentary!
Feb. 4
Hello everyone! I wish I could say that things are great but that would be dishonest of me. The weather is somewhat a fitting description of my mood. It’s cloudy, rainy, and just gloomy outside. This weather isn’t completely depressing but it does make me feel restricted and a bit on the down side.
It’s always easier and more fun to write when things are okay but it does take a bit of a load off of my chest to write and release a little bit of the tension and emotion that I’ve held in when things aren’t so great- like right now.
I’m not sure what’s going on with our team. We were on a five-game winning streak, and now we’ve lost three of our last four games- games that we could have won if we had fixed little things.
We need to find the energy we had a few games back. We need to get back to having four or five people with double figures in scoring each game. We need to get back to outworking our opponents on both ends of the floor. We need to go back to being the JU team that we were.
Lucky for us, we have eight games left. We have time to get our act together and still make the rest of the season a successful one. Some of our goals might have been affected but we can still win the A-Sun championship.
I couldn’t help but think of a quote that had been recited to me earlier this season by Greg Gray. He told us that there will be tough times but we always have to remember that “It’s a good thing that we’re like Teflon and not Velcro.”
This situation won’t stick. My teammates and I won’t let it. We’re going to work harder in every way and expect nothing but the best from each other. We’re going to become even closer as a team to make sure that we get through this slump together.
That’s key word that is going to help us get through – togetherness. That is how we won five in a row and that will be what gets us through this little slump.
A lack of energy won’t happen like it did when we faced East Tennessee State and we won’t get complacent like we did against South Carolina Upstate this past week. We will make the big shots and big plays when they need to be made. We will get it done.
Hopefully we can start to get back on track this week as we head to Georgia to face Kennesaw State and Mercer. With two wins, we could hopefully move back up to fourth place in the A-Sun standings.
The next time you all hear from me, hopefully I’ll be expressing how we all came together and got past this bump in the road. Until then, try to stay dry!!!
P.S. – This week we’ve got a special guest blog from fellow senior Virginia Gregoire. Here it is:
Let me begin with a little bit about me. I am Virginia “VG” Gregoire (#32)-the beautiful one. We’re halfway through the season and I find myself wondering when I’ll get out of this shooting slump I seem to find myself in. My expectations were high this year and even though I may not have been scoring a lot, my team was finally on a season high five-game winning streak but has begun to fall off. I’m hoping that one of these days the old VG will show up again and our team will bounce back.
In the meantime, my team has my back and everyone else is stepping up. The newcomers are coming along and the returners continue to surprise me every day.
Anyways, enough with the introduction, I want to tell you all a little about my teammates.
Today we’ll talk about the newcomers and their interesting quirky behavior.
Let’s start with Jasmine Coleman, also known as “Plies Baby.” Every road trip she sits in the back of the bus rapping his lyrics word for word. She’s from South Carolina and “Plies” is from South Florida - how she discovered him I have no idea.
Next we have Ashanti Williams, also known as “Lost Junior” because she is always lost. Her favorite play is “Let’s Go, Let’s Go.” For those of you who are not affiliated with our program, there is no play called “Let’s Go, Let’s Go”. She’s a sweetheart though and a genuine person. I just hope we never leave her on a road trip and they better not ever room me with her because we would miss everything (being that I’m “Lost Senior”).
Then there’s Jessica George, my cute little munchkin from the Wizard of Oz. I love it when she tries to box me out in practice because she tries so hard but it’s not happening! Aside from basketball she’s stuck on this “Twilight” series of books they have.
I feel for her and the other freshmen though because they’ll be missing so much school this semester and its hard balancing school and athletics especially as freshmen.
Gigi Thomas, our transfer sitting out this year, what can I say. She’s good and it’s too bad I won’t play beside her. She has extremely long arms to block shots and can finish really well at the basket. Outside of basketball she takes care of business. She made the all-academic team last semester.
Taneskei “T-Rich” Richardson is my rehab partner. She is really good on the offensive boards and has a nice touch around the basket and a good mid-range game. Her minutes have gone up because she pretty consistent off the bench and gives us what we need when she goes in.
Last but not least there is Val Jones. She works hard and when she polishes up her game a little more she’ll be nice. Defensively she has long arms and I think she has the potential to block a lot of shots. When she isn’t playing basketball she’s probably somewhere off washing her nice Mustang she got surprised with on Christmas! Her parents will never be able to top that one but what a way to start off college. You go Mr. and Mrs. Jones.
Well, I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about the new comers. Next time I’m on I will talk about the returners and their crazy habits.
January 27
I don’t know how many of you travel a lot but I must say that there is nothing like coming home to your own room. As a scholarship athlete, we’re fortunate enough to be able stay in nice hotels when we do travel, but I really missed my room this trip.
My room isn’t extremely festive but it has been home to me for the past four years. I like seeing the painting of me and my sisters when we were younger above my desk when I do my homework. I missed my forest green comforter set, green carpet and green garbage can that match. My clothes are hung according to color and I don’t have to retrieve them from a suitcase. I guess you can say I was momentarily homesick but I sure am glad to be back.
I wish I could say we came home with two victories this go-round but we were one for two in both well-fought games.
First, we faced the Eagles of Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday evening. They flew out the gates on us, taking a 12-2 lead within the first three and a half minutes.
The game went back and forth until about the 3-minute mark. Once again, we found ourselves unable to put the ball in the hoop. It’s impossible to win if you don’t make shots, especially if the other team is.
The Eagles used a 7-0 run to close us out and snap our five-game wining streak. I don’t we could have played any harder, we rebounded the ball well but committed 22 turnovers and we just didn’t make shots.
FGCU is a tough team to beat them at home with their style of play, but we’re definitely looking forward to playing them in our house.
As for our second game of this past weekend, we faced Stetson. The Hatters were coming off a loss to the University of North Florida and two losses prior to that one, so we knew they would be in search of a victory.
From the tip it seemed as though the Hatters wouldn’t have an answer for us, as we took a 10-0 lead. We never looked back. We went into half time with an 18 point lead and we ended up winning by a margin of 23.
I shot well from the floor (10-16) and scored a career-high 24 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists. Our post players ran the floor extremely well and Regina “G” Omoite was able to keep the Hatters from getting into a rhythm by applying full-court pressure the entire game. It was a nice way to cap off the weekend.
Our next game is against our rival East Tennessee State University- this time the game’s in our house. We’ve faced them before and we know what to expect so hopefully we’ll come out ready to go. Our game is this Thursday in Swisher Gymnasium at 7p.m. as we try to pack the house. Saturday we face the University of South Carolina Upstate.
This is the second time around that we’ll face each of our conference opponents so there shouldn’t be any surprises. I hope that we can come out and do what we do well- play hard and smart!
January 19
Hello everyone! I hope I have found you all in the best of moods. My mood has definitely improved with the rising of the sun because it brought a bit of warmth with it. It has been cold here in northern Florida and in a few other states that we have been visiting.
As a true Miamian, I don’t like any weather that doesn’t allow for cargo shorts and flip flops. I feel like this is the longest it has been cold in Florida in a really long time. Then again, it could just be that I don’t remember last year’s weather- which I don’t.
On another note, school is back in full swing and it looks like it’s going to be a long semester. It seems like we’ll be missing a lot more class this semester.
I worry most for our freshmen. They all have good heads on their shoulders but they’ve never missed so many classes and starting next week things might start to get tougher for them.
Almost every other week we travel to compete from Wednesday to Saturday nigh- including this upcoming week. Hopefully, I can offer tips to help them get through this semester:
-Read a little from a chapter of required texts before going to bed at night.
-Take advantage of on-campus resources, like tutors.
-Make sure to continually check in with professors to make sure you're not missing any assignments.
-Become friends with someone in each of your classes to make sure that you can see their notes and have updates after each class.
On another note, this past week we were able to continue our up-tempo play against the Ospreys of UNF and the Campbell Camels to extend our winning streak to five – the longest this season.
Two strong second half defensive efforts helped to push us past two really solid teams this week. Once again we’ve had several different players in double digits in both games - with standout performances from Lynsey Paschal against UNF and Regina “G” Omoite and me at Campbell. Both games consisted of a complete effort.
We leave Wednesday afternoon to face Florida Gulf Coast University and then to Deland, Florida to play Stetson University, wish us luck!
January 12
Swagger. I have officially decided to give my team that word for the week. "Swagger" has become a popular term used by us young folks to describe the way you carry yourself - it’s an air of confidence that you have about yourself. Several, if not all of my teammates will say that they have “swagger.” Upon just mentioning the term to Courtney “C4” Jackson, it brought about a smile and a different stride in her step. She describes the term as confidence as well.
Swagger is what my team seems to have right now- on and off the court. A few days ago it seemed a little rough but in the past three games there has been a dramatic shift. We always play hard, but we’re starting to play smarter and put all the pieces together. The best part of having this swagger is that I can look out on the floor and see that my teammates are having fun on the court.
Too often I see many great athletes lose their passion because they aren’t having fun. I tip my hat to all of my coaches, my teammates, and the wonderful staff here at JU, and our fans- you all make playing fun for me. Thanks!
Well enough with the mushy stuff! This past week we faced two really good teams in Mercer and Kennesaw State.
On Thursday, my birthday, we came out firing. I helped by scoring the first six of our eight points. Our defense was intense- there wasn’t a pass made by Mercer that we didn’t get our hands on. We led by 18 points in the first half. They clawed back in during the second half to cut into our lead, but it was to no avail and we ended up winning by 18 points.
Saturday, we faced Kennesaw. Last year they beat us here at home and it left a bit of a bitter taste in our mouths.
The game was filled with turnovers - 50 turnovers total to be exact. The game was tight at the beginning but we pulled away and won the game by 14. Desarae “Legs” Johnson stood out in this competition with her career-high 19 points and 11 rebounds.
We moved up the chain this week, pushing up to third place in our conference. Our play has definitely gone up. We’ve hit 70 points the past three games. I think our swagger is showing.
Our next game is against our cross-town rival UNF and will be a double-header with our boys. I hope to see all of you wearing green at their place to support us!
January 8
It wasn’t until recently that I realized that it is not always easy to write about basketball when things aren’t going as well as you would expect.
It’s still fairly early in our season but my teammates and I all had a different vision of where we’d be sitting at this point in time. Not to take credit from any of the teams we have played against, but we know we should be sitting at a record of 10-2 instead of 5-7 after a loss at East Tennessee State by eight.
Our first conference game, since our loss against Belmont and win against Lipscomb early on, was an intense match. We came out with a lot of intensity and were able to jump out to a 15 point lead during the first half. We were clicking on all cylinders. It was one of best first half’s we’ve played all year.
Unfortunately, our lead wasn’t sustained late in the second half. ETSU found a rhythm and seemed to not miss a bucket, shooting 50 percent from the floor in the second half. We couldn’t find an answer for two of their star players and we ended up losing by eight points.
The second half we seemed to lose a little bit of fire without our star, senior guard Virginia “VG” Gregoire after injuring her right foot.
Losing to ETSU did leave us with a small chip on our shoulder and I think it showed. We routed the USC Upstate by 20. The past two games we’ve had at least four players with double digit scoring. Everything fell in our favor in the match against Upstate. Turnovers were high on both ends but overall we played well in all other areas.
I saw the real JU team compete last game against Upstate and I think it’s going to carry over tomorrow as we face Mercer here at home. They have a few new weapons but I don’t think it’s anything we can’t handle. We’ve been playing well and I think we’re all finally on the same page.
Like we’ve said several times in our locker room, we always play hard but we have to play smarter. I think we’re capable of doing that.
We know we can do better and we will do better.
Off the court, there are a lot of exciting things going on. We started school yesterday. It’s nice to have everyone back on campus. The people make JU look and just feel like an entirely different place than it does when there’s no one here.
The first few days can be hectic for student-athletes because we have to make sure we’re registered for all of the classes we need, get our books and be ready to go when it’s time for practice.
It’s hard for me to fully grasp that I have officially started my last semester here at JU. It hasn’t really hit me yet but I think I’m ready to make my way out to the real world.
Speaking of “lasts,” yesterday was my last day as a 21-year-old. As of today, I am officially 22 and the oldest person on our team. My teammates had plenty of jokes today in practice about me getting ready to receive social security checks and needing a walker.
The final exciting thing that’s going on would definitely have to be the national championship for college football. I don’t really care who wins but I think it’s going to be a very exciting game.
This has been an exciting week thus far and I can only see it getting better. Tomorrow’s game will be intense but I know we’re up to the challenge!
January 1
Happy New Years!!! I hope you all were able to enjoy the countdown with those you love in a safe manner. I brought the New Year in with my teammates. We had an enjoyable time and we’re looking forward to what we can accomplish in the New Year and we only hope for the best to everyone this upcoming year!
It’s now about 15 degrees colder than it was a week ago. I haven’t woken up to my nieces and nephew staring, waiting quietly for me to wake up, and I don’t see my mom typing away at the computer the way she was when I fell asleep- all indications that I am no longer in sunny Miami.
We’ve been back for about a week now. Campus is still empty aside from the millions of leaves on the ground and the two athletic teams here. I must say that I do miss my family. Sometimes that week we always get for Christmas just seems to go so quickly. Just when I felt like my newest niece was getting used to me, I had to leave. I think that’s what sits in my mind most, but I think she’ll remember me…I mean really, how could anyone forget this adorable face!
Being back in Jacksonville definitely means that it’s time to get back to business. We’ve had four days of practice and a game since we’ve returned. The past few days of practice were intense. You could since everyone’s excitement to be back on the court with each defensive stop or every hard-earned bucket, there was even some trash talking going on.
After those four days of putting in work, we headed north to face the University of South Carolina. We were hoping to pull out an upset and to finish the year with a bang with this game being our last non-conference game and the final game of 2008 for us. Unfortunately, the game didn’t end in our favor.
We started slow and dug ourselves into a 15-point hole. We were able to crawl out of that hole on different occasions and had a chance to win in the final two and a half minutes down by three, but again it was to no avail.
We struggled on the boards, getting trounced 45-24 in rebounds, and our transition defense could’ve been better. We let this one slip through our fingertips unfortunately.
On a brighter note, I feel like I played the way coach and everyone else has been waiting for me to play. I dropped 16 points, had 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals. I felt relentless and almost unstoppable on both ends. I’m not sure what came over me but I’m hoping that it carries over into our conference games that start this Saturday.
We leave early tomorrow to face East Tennessee State on Saturday at 1:30p.m. Somehow this game has become an intense rival game. Saturday’s game will be a good one and I’m excited to begin our conference journey. We’ve had our preparation, now it’s time to put it all together.
December 22
Hello everyone, I hope this blog finds you in good spirits!
For starters, I would like you all to do me a favor and just try to imagine that it's 77 degrees outside, with a light breeze, and you're holding a chocolate dipped cone in your right hand while sitting on a balcony in the most comfortable chair you can think of while watching beautiful cars and people pass by.
For some, this may be hard to grasp but I am fortunate to have this as a reality at this very moment. It's not often that we get breaks but I am enjoying this short holiday break that we have in my hometown in Miami, Florida.
This year we were given the 21st through the 26th to visit our families and I must say that I am truly grateful for it. I came home to find my one year old niece walking and eating paper, which was absolutely adorable by the way.
My 9-year-old niece is about as tall as me and my nephew, 6, is reading everything that has words on it! Often, we don't realize how much we miss being away at school so it's nice to come home and catch up with what's going and see the many things that have changed and that have stayed the same. It's just refreshing though to be around family again.
I must admit that relaxing in Miami right now wouldn't be as big of a pleasure as it is right now if it hadn't been for the two marks in the win column that we made happen this past week. This past week, your very own Lady Dolphins competed in, and won, the first ever South Padre Island Shootout Tournament in Texas.
Friday, in the first of our two games in South Padre, we faced Southern Methodist University from Texas. We came out strong with three 3-point field goals by "C4" also known as Courtney Jackson, who has been an outstanding scorer for us thus far.
The rest of the game was back and forth and it came down to clutch free-throw shooting and we were able to come out on top.
The second game was for the championship against IUPUI. To be honest, I have no idea what the really long acronym stands for but this was a talented group. They had a strong inside game that hard for us to cover with our size and solid guards on the perimeter, but we were able to close this game out with free throws as well. A Jaguars guard nailed two 3-point field goals, one being an and-one, to try to keep her team in the game but we were able to hold them off.
There were many standout plays and players in this tournament. There was amazing shooting by Courtney Jackson, very solid games on both ends by our post players Danielle and Lynsey and a lot of other little things by the rest of the team.
I would never toot my own horn but I had a fun and memorable moment in the tournament as well. I recall the shot clock winding down and we needed to get a shot off so coach said to give me the ball and we spaced out the floor. I remember putting the ball in my right hand and doing a cross-over move as though I were upset. My defender stumbled back and fell on her butt. I was told that I looked down at her and put a cherry on top by nailing the 18-foot jumper. It was an exciting moment for me and the team to go with all of the other great plays that were made. We truly had fun this tournament.
The two wins we earned this past week were very much needed. The JU team that we know can win the A-Sun championship reared its head. We played solid and together. We made the big shots we needed, defended well and what's even more amazing is that we can play even better- I am sure of it. In this tournament, "C4" was named the Most Valuable Player and "VG" also known as Virginia Gregoire, made the all-tournament team.
There was definitely a different air about us this past week and on the court it showed. Our coaching staff and JU administrators did a lot for us to get to the tournament and it feels great to be able to reward them with the victories.
If you were to ask me if this short break would be the same without those wins I'd say that I highly doubt it. We had fun at the pool and beach then we handled our business on the court. I am glad that we can say that the 2008-2009 women's basketball team at JU is the first champion of the inaugural South Padre Island Shootout!
This is an exciting time and I am hoping that our energy and excitement carries over to our practices from the 26th to our game on the 30th against South Carolina and to the rest of the season so we can make this season an exciting and successful one!
December 16
Hello everyone!!! Pardon me for being away for so long but things have been hectic. The past three days have been a bit more peaceful because the semester ended this past Friday after I turned in my philosophy paper at 12p.m. I couldn't be happier that the semester is over. I enjoy the classes that I've taken but at times it can be a bit overwhelming when trying to balance classes with basketball, weight lifting, study hall, and trying to have a social life.
I have missed writing though. Writing is cathartic for me. Writing is one of life's biggest pleasures for me, so thank you to all of you who actually take the time out to read my thoughts!
Finals week seemed really long as it included a stretch of nine days without a game. That can throw you off quite a bit after you get used to playing a at least two games a week. We were back in action again last night against UCF. It felt great to get back out there and compete against a really physical team. The game seemed to start reall slow and I believe that there were a total of about seven or eight points scored in the first five minutes. Luckily things picked up.
We went into the half up by seven and were feeling pretty good about what we were doing. Aside from our rebounding, we were doing well. The second half was pretty much the same - intense.
There were several really big shots in the second half to conclude the game. UCF made a huge 3-point shot with a little over a minute to go. I missed the next shot on the other end and we were forced to foul. They missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw attempt but the ball rolled off the hands of one of our post players to give UCF possession. We ended up losing the game by 4 with a final score of 75-71.
We helped them wtih a season high 25 turnovers on our part and gave them 29 attempts at the free throw line. I must say that Courtney Jackson had an excellent offensive game for us tonight.
We were at a loss for words once the game ended. We couldn't understand how we lost yet another game that we had in the bag. We all truly feel that we should be 6-2 right now but instead we're 3-5. I'm starting to wonder what we're missing. We could stand to do better on the boards but I feel like it's deeper than that. We need to figure it out; fast.
Tomorrow morning we head out for the South Padre Island Shootout in Texas. If we could pull out some wins there it would be a great boost for us. When we get back from Texas we'll be entirely in conference play. We must get the ball rolling this weekend before it's too late. I think we can do it, we just all have to buy into what we're being taught.
I must say it is harder to write when things aren't going as well as you'd hope but it seems to have helped me a little bit. We'e all really talented, we just need to put it together. I am extremely excited about visiting Texas for the first time. I think it's going to be a lot of fun and I can't wait to write about it! I hope this week goes well for all of you out there! I'll be back soon!
December 3
Hello there again! I hope everyone is doing their best to stay warm in this cold Jacksonville air and wherever else you all may be.
Now that the leftovers are gone (which were delicious Ms. Gray!), it's time to get back to work. Tomorrow evening we host the Belmont Bruins. They've always been one of the top teams in our conference and always give us a tough battle. I am sure tomorrow will be no different. Tomorrow is the first of our two conference games this week and the first conference game this season. This Saturday we face Lipscomb and both games will be doubleheaders with the men's team.
As a team, I think we are still searching for that full 40-minute game. Last game, we played a good 32 to 35 minutes and we're hoping to only go up from there. After shooting poorly in the second half of our last game against Kansas State, our coaching staff made sure we got up plenty of shots this week. Hopefully we can find a way to put the ball in the hole - after all, it's the whole point of the game.
As many of you may know, basketball is a huge part of our lives but we're not labeled student-athletes for nothing. There is always great emphasis placed on athletics but we still have to find a way to manage our schoolwork. Next week we begin taking finals – which are crucial. In order to be eligible for the spring term, we have to have passing grades in the fall. Not only is it crunch time with our first two conference games but it's also crunch time to get it done in the classroom.
Each season we set goals that we hope to accomplish. One of those goals is to be undefeated at home in our conference and we have the opportunity to begin making strides towards that goal starting tomorrow. It will be a good one and I'm hoping we can come out on top!
Nov. 30, 2008
Hey guys, I hope you guys had an enjoyable break!
I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving. It has to be one of my favorite holidays. It's always nice to receive a home-cooked meal and to be around the people you hold dearest to heart and there's always something to be thankful for.
I am thankful to be able to compete in a sport I love while being able to further educate myself. I am thankful for my friends and family and all of the wonderful people who have come into my life for a different reason or season. They all have had a purpose I feel.
Most campuses were deserted this past week, as was ours. I did see a few of our track members still here and of course our men's team. As a participant of a winter sport, we spend most of our time playing games. We played two games this past week. Both were held here on campus so at least we didn't have to spend our Thanksgiving day traveling and practicing; only practicing.
Tuesday we faced George Mason. Being that they were (0-3) when they came into our house, we knew that they would be hungry and in search of that first win. Unfortunately for them, we were looking to bounce back from the loss at Coastal Carolina.
We came out strong. Leading us was senior guard Virginia Gregoire. For the first three games, no one had seen the old "VG" that we had seen break down every defensive player opponents threw at her.
This game "VG" came out with something to prove. She put up 22 points, with 4 of 5 shooting from behind the arc. Nothing could slow her down as we rolled over George Mason to get our second "W".
Thursday we faced one of the best teams we've seen all year in Kansas State (5-0). The game was intense. We traded buckets up until about the 8 minute mark in the second half when we couldn't find the basket once again. We shot 42 percent in the first half and a dismal 17 percent in the second half, which led to our downfall in a 53-43 loss.
Right now we are 2-3. We seem to be going in a win, lose, win, lose pattern and that's definitely not going to cut it if we are trying to finish as A-Sun Champions. Again, it is still early in the season but we must pick it up. This Thursday, we face Belmont in our first conference game and then we face Lipscomb on Saturday. We've played several talented teams so far this season and I hope that those non-conference teams have prepared us for our first conference games.
This past week gave us all a long, overdue break from school but tomorrow it's back to work. There's one more week of regular school left and then exams. It's time to finish up strong. I can't believe I only have one semester left in my college career. I really hope it's a memorable one!
Nov. 22
I am pleased to say that we did finally make a mark in the "W" column Thursday night with a win over Florida International University. FIU put up a good battle but they were no match for us at the guard spot.
I'm not one to toot my own horn, but I must say that I began Thursdays game on a high note. I scored eight of our first ten points to start off the game. I felt pretty good individually and about our team effort. We had intense defense this game, forcing the Panthers into 29 turnovers.
At the end of the night, we all felt relief in getting that first win. We wouldn't remain on our high horse for long though.
The next morning we were on the road headed to South Carolina to face the Coastal Carolina (3-0). We practiced for two hours Friday night to prepare for the game. Coach Dunn made sure we got up a lot of shots so that we could get accustomed to their balls and their gym. The next morning we watched film to see our competition and left for the game.
What happened next caught us all off guard. Coastal Carolina jumped out of the gates with an 11-2 lead and they never looked back.
If all of our starters were millionaires, we still wouldn't have been able to buy a bucket in this competition. We shot a dismal 0 for 10 from the three point line. Our bench scored 28 of our 44 points. Our rebounding effort was almost non-existent as the Chanticleers out rebounded us by 20.
Three seniors on our team, Virginia Gregoire, Regina Omoite, and myself, were all disappointed in how we played. We feel as though we let our team down and in order for us to be successful this year we can not repeat the same kind of performance.
The great thing about the game of basketball is that you're not allowed too much time to sulk because Tuesday we play again. Hopefully we can get in the gym today and figure out a way to come up with that second win.
We have had the same keys to win for a while now, which are defense and rebounding, and I think that if we do those things we can pick things and truly get rolling.
As our season continues we will be looking to definitely score more points and stay on the attack to hopefully come out on top. We'll try to get it done one game at a time, starting again Tuesday (November 25) against George Mason!
Nov. 20
Well as most of you already know, Monday's game against Florida was definitely a disappointment. We were pumped up the night before at practice and on game day, 30 minutes couldn't pass without Regina jumping around and expressing some form of excitement. Coach Dunn gave a highly inspiring speech about being 'that' team - the team to beat the Gators twice, the second time on their floor. We just couldn't put it all together.
A little bit of excitement was deterred when the lights took more than 10 minutes to come back on after UF's 'grand entrance' but there aren't any excuses. They jumped out on us 19-4 and we didn't respond until the last five minutes of the half. We went into half time within five points 38-33 and couldn't have been more excited about our effort and intensity.
As we were all aware of, UF didn't lay down and they jumped ahead once again but this time we had trouble recovering. They towered us in most of our positions and we couldn't find a bucket. If 12% shooting from the field in the second half says anything about how the second half went then there isn't a need for any more words. At least for that game.
Tonight, we will be facing Florida International University. We were informed that most of their team will be taller than us, just as the UF squad, but that's where our speed will come into play. We will have to get great position on rebounds and be a second ahead of them the entire game to come out on top.
We are on a hunt to get that first win. We need to get some kind of momentum going and what better way to do that than our first home game. I hope that we can give our fans a reason to come back next Tuesday and every home game after that!
Nov. 17
Time flew by this weekend. After two early morning practices this weekend, the day everyone on the team has been waiting for is finally here. Today we will be opening a can of...I mean we will be opening our season at the University of Florida. It all starts to count today and I couldn't be more excited.
Last year, we faced the Gators here in our house. It was a fierce competition to the end. Fortunately for us, the competition ended in our favor. Since last year, they have lost their leading scorer and so have we, so it will be pretty evenly matched.
We are well aware that Florida is in search of revenge and we're hoping to repeat history. Their stage will be different but the adrenaline will be pumping on both sides which will hopefully make for an exciting game. I feel as though our coaching staff has prepared us for any and everything that could possibly come our way.
I was elated to find out that the game was being televised. It's nice for my family to get to see me play. I'm hoping I can put on a good show and that we can pull out a victory to get our season started the right way!
Nov. 10, 2008
Are you sleepy right now? Tired? I ask because I feel pretty well-rested and lively. I thought of this because I was speaking with a friend who had slept through most of Sunday. On our team, our coach usually places us on 11 p.m. curfew the night before a game so that usually provides a good sleeping schedule for us. I'm almost fairly sure that many regular students can't say that they went to bed at 11 o'clock on Saturday, but finding out what they did do would be an entirely different story. Basketball, on the other hand was pretty intense this past weekend.
We played two exhibition games, one on Friday and the other on Sunday. The first of our exhibition games was against Flagler. This was a high-energy game that I think helped to get our confidence up. We won that game by a margin of 35 points.
As for our second game, the outcome wasn't in our favor. In this rollercoaster of a game we were up by 10 points at the half but ended up losing by a disappointing nine points. I feel as though our team lacked energy and we were low on emotion. We tallied 37 total turnovers if that says anything about the way we competed. The brighter side of this weekend was that we faced two teams with entirely different styles and we were able to learn a lot from both.
The best part of this weekend was this weekend would definitely have to be the support we had from our fans. It was nice to have people other than ourselves rooting for us. The weekend included a fun win and an unfortunate loss but one of our loyal fans said something that stuck with me, "It's a good thing we're like teflon and not velcro,” said our very own Greg Gray, father of my teammate Danielle Gray. We are impenetrable. We learn from our mistakes each game and we only hope to improve and move forward. We'll be back in the gym tonight to work towards Monday, when it all really starts to count!
Nov. 5, 2008
Change.
This word has been ringing in my head for more than a year now. Initially, I wasn't sure how to take the thought of change or how deeply it would impact my life and the lives of everyone in this country, but a change has definitely occurred.
For the first time in American history, our president-elect, will be a mixed raced man. New history books are probably being written as you sit and read this. I can't help but think about how far our country has come and far it still has to go. I am elated to know that those who actually walked with Dr. Martin Luther King and others of his stature were able to witness such an amazing triumph. Another excellent thing about the election was the turnout of young voters - your voices were heard.
I am proud to be an American. It was a long, hard-fought battle between two qualified representatives but all of the campaigning is over. Now it's time for Obama to get down to work.
As for basketball, we had an inner-squad scrimmage this past Sunday and I was thoroughly pleased at how we competed. Any worries or doubts that were there dissipated. Our newcomers didn't always know the plays or the exact spots within the different defenses but the effort was apparent. The true test will take place this Friday.
Today is the last day of practice before our first exhibition game. This past week I feel as though coach has been resting us. On a regular basis we have a shooting session, usually early, followed by lifting weights, classes, then practice - and most of our team has to fit in two hours of study hall each day. The repetition can be a bit tiring and I think our coaching staff realizes that it all can slowly wear us down.
I am looking forward to another learning, but exciting practice tomorrow that will prepare us for our game. I hope Flagler is ready on Friday because we'll be well-rested and looking to run them out of the gym!!!!
10/29/08
We are officially seven practice days away from our first
exhibition game to kick off 2008-09. After coming off a 23-9 record year
last season, we are hoping to capture the Atlantic Sun Conference title
this year. With the loss of record-breaking power forward Ashley Williams
from our squad, there is room for returners and newcomers to really make
an impact. Ashley left some huge shoes to fill, but I am 100 percent sure
that we can do it.
This year we have several newcomers. We have three talented
freshmen guards in Ashanti Williams, Valerie Jones and Jessica George.
All three are looking to make an immediate impact.
We also have three transfers that have joined us this year.
Forward Taneskei Richardson and guard/forward Jasmin Coleman are two experienced
junior college transfers that will add more versatility to our post position
with their ability to shoot from long range. Unfortunately, guard GiGi
Thomas, a transfer from Appalachian State, won't be able to play with
us this year but she continues to work hard to make us all better in practice.
As for the returners, we have our four powerful post players
Desarae Johnson, Crystal Grable, Lynsey Paschal and Atlantic Sun Student-Athlete Advisory
Committee representative Danielle Gray. I'm sure everyone remembers Virginia
'VG' Gregoire and her ability to get past any defender. There's Regina
'G' Omoite, only one of the best point guards in the conference. We have
Courtney 'C4' Jackson ready to shoot at will. Lastly, there's me, DaVina
Hamilton, and I am armed with a crossover that I am not afraid to use.
All combined, I think we could have one of the best backcourts in the
A-Sun. This season looks as though it will be promising from over here
and I am looking forward to competing.
Hello everyone! My name is DaVina Hamilton and I just want
to take a moment to welcome you all to the JU women's basketball blog
for the 2008-2009 season. I am honored to be able to give you all an inside
look into our wonderful team.
I must say that our coaching staff could not have done a
better job recruiting some of the nicest, hardworking women I have ever
met. I love my team and wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
I look forward to bringing your closer to our program and
hope that you enjoy the inside look at our squad.
