"Air Bella" wished the girls well this morning.Two games. Different as Day and Knight.*
One was a too-close-for-comfort 55-53 win over the tall and talented Philadelphia Belles. In Game 2 the Eclipse bedeviled the Central Kentucky Angels 69-21, thank heavens. Eclipse 2-0.
*Note that our coach is James Knight.
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We awoke to a beautiful morning - a clear sky without a cloud and 65 degrees. Caribou Coffee is just behind our hotel, so we can get a proper cup before facing the rigors of the day. It was a tranquil morning, which in a cruel way belied the pandemonium that would ensue later.
I had a hunch about this Philadelphia Belles team. Philly teams are always tough. And not just tough in the street tough sense, but tough in the sense that they are talented and well-coached. As I would later tell some of our parents: "This is the third or fourth largest city in America, so you know they have a huge talent pool."
Each one of our girls gave up several inches to the Belles. Every pass was contested. Using their long arms and quickness, they poked away our passes and converted turnovers into points.
Hannah guarded the Belles' #23, giving up maybe a couple of inches. But she fought gamely, played solid defense and did a great job taking care of the ball.
Coach Knight substituted liberally, knowing this would be a grueling game. He established a very consistent substitution pattern: when you come out of the game you take a seat on the end of the bench and work your way back up.
Many of our shots weren't falling, due to the fact that we couldn't get a good look at the basket. As I understand it, even if you have to adjust your shot ever so slightly to avoid an outstretched arm or the presence of a defender it can throw off your shot. That's why many of our shots rimmed in and out or bounced off the iron.
Speed, normally our strong suit, was matched equally by the Belles. Our fast break was negated by their quickness. We didn't get as many points off of turnovers. At times, we lost our edge in boxing out and rebounding. It was a back-and-forth affair for much of the game and the Eclipse fell behind by as many as 10 in the second half.
But our girls didn't quit. A couple of three-pointers, a steal converted into two quick points and we were back in the game. Azia "A-1" Washington had a stickback at 3.5 seconds to give the Eclipse a 2-point lead. The Belles had one last chance. Coach Knight has always said "if they're running away from you in that situation, let them go and don't foul and if they're coming toward you, get in front of them and contest them".
So the Belles threw a long pass to #23 who streaked toward the hoop and gathered herself for what looked like an easy layup ... but missed the layup as time expired.
Eclipse 55, Belles 53.
Your instinct is to go crazy in the stands, feeding off the energy and elation as the girls pump their fists and jump up and down. But then you remember this is pool play. Sure, you have to win these games, but it's only the first game and it's not like an elimination game or anything.
This game was a stern test and I think it toughened our girls for what's to come. There's a quiet confidence in this bunch, and they didn't fold even though there were about a half a dozen times in this game when they could have.
The second game of the day, against the Central Kentucky Angels, was a romp. The girls ran their fast break, played superb defense, forced turnovers, hit their shots and played with that "looseness" that coaches have referred to over the ages. You could tell they were just having fun.
At one point Mary remarked, "We have a deep team. Everyone contributes solid minutes." You could really see it in that second game.
My brother-in-law Thom and I always remarked about "basking" in the glow of a victory. There's nothing quite like sitting there in a moments just after a great victory, letting out a deep sigh, taking in your surroundings and silently proclaiming your blessings. That was the feeling after this day. There's nothing like that feeling as you're standing around with the players and other parents, sharing a laugh, replaying the game, blowing off steam and comtemplating tonight's dining experience. As Thom and I would say "It's a great day to be alive."
Tonight is a short night. We'll have to "sleep fast" because the girls have to be up and fed and on the "bus" by 9:00 in time for our 10:15 game with the Lady Blazers from the Chicago area. That's our final pool game. Win that and we win our pool and are guaranteed the best possible seed in the Championship bracket, earning a place among the final 32 teams.
You write very well.
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