Swish Appeal - 2013 Atlantic Sun tournament: Stetson knocks off FGCU for titleBasketball is basketball.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49391/swish-fave.png2013-03-11T14:00:06-04:00http://www.swishappeal.com/rss/stream/38336832013-03-11T14:00:06-04:002013-03-11T14:00:06-04:00Kennedy: FGCU's heads are high after A-Sun loss
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<p>The FGCU Eagles fell to the Stetson Hatters 70-64 in the Atlantic Sun title game. FGCU guard Brittany Kennedy shares her thoughts on the heartbreaking loss and the day that led up to it. </p> <p>Day 5</p>
<p>The championship game is finally here. The early morning rises at 4:30 am, mile runs and pool workouts all come together to show the hard work we have put in is going to pay off. We were all ready for the challenge we would be facing. Earlier we were able to cheer on our men to victory in the championship game and all were even more excited for the tip off of our game. It was go time! We knew this team very well, probably the best in the league to understand our opponent’s tendencies. I was ready, but most importantly I knew our team would be ready for this game.</p>
<p>Nothing changed for me today for my pre-game ritual. I fell asleep watching TV, but when I was up again I saw I was only out for twenty minutes. Sarah (Hansen) was up from her nap not too long after. We smiled at each other, asking each other if we were ready. Of course the answers were yes and let’s go. We were yelling stuff at each other getting excited just wanting to play. Our assistant coaches (Chelsea Lyles and Abby Sharlow) were next to us and told us earlier this week they heard us getting excited about the North Florida game; this time they decided to bang on the wall which got us more excited.</p>
<p>By the end of the first half we had separated ourselves from them. Coach (Smesko) always reminds us though there are two halves we must play if we want to be a great team and most importantly in this game, be champions. The fight was there however it wasn’t enough for us. They came back on us and took the game from us; they wanted it just a little bit more. Down the stretch they were able to make plays on offense and defense. We made a few stops defensively yet it wasn’t enough and we weren’t able to execute on offense. Opportunities were there but we weren’t able to knock down our shots or finish through contact on our drives.</p>
<p>Once again Joyce (Iamstrong) played a great game. She had a career night in points which down the stretch she did have a lay-up to tie the game up for us with under a minute. I’m proud she’s on my team and tremendously happy for her to be the tournament MVP.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the Eagles fell short in the biggest game of our season. It was hard to battle in a position we haven’t been in, however at the end of the day I know myself, I know we can’t hang our heads. We are still a great team that will be better from this heart-breaking loss. Our season is not over. I would love to get an at large bid into the tournament if the committee can recognize what this team was able to do through our adversity, if not, we will continue in the WNIT.</p>
<p>No this isn’t the path (playing in the WNIT) I wanted to go down as a senior, but there are plenty of other seniors who aren’t able to play. At the end of the day I know I have great teammates, coaches, trainers, family, friends and fans that are supporting us and want to see us be successful. God has truly blessed all of us and that is all any of us could ever ask for, and I know I am more than thankful for the blessings He has given us.</p>
<p>Back at the hotel my parents came back and brought the other 20 family members that came to watch us play. It meant the world to me they drove to the hotel to be with me, even though I was a wreck -- after not being able to accomplish what we came here to do. Being in my dads’ arm in the lobby warmed my heart, to hear him say he loved me, my mom loved me, and all of them here (and family far) were so proud of me and my teammates -- and we all had to keep our heads high for the great season we have had so far. There is nothing like having family there to give you strength, when you feel at your weakest, with that emptiness in your stomach and heart.</p>
<p>The text messages from my assistant coaches, trainer, teammates, friends and big sister kept me from hanging my head as well. Being able to receive so much love on Facebook made me smile, even with tears in my eyes -- along with a phone call from my best friend to remind me of what has been accomplished this year. Their words brought happy tears to roll down my cheeks. These people have supported me when things are going well and now when they weren’t; true friendships.</p>
<p>My head is high. Our heads are high.</p>
<p>Thank you to all those who have helped me and my teammates get through this loss and supported us during the season. The Eagles aren’t done playing and that makes me extremely proud to be on this team.</p>
<p>Go Eagles!!</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2013/3/11/4086916/ncaa-womens-basketball-atlantic-sun-tournament-2013-fgcu-brittany-kennedyMike Robinson2013-03-09T21:00:03-05:002013-03-09T21:00:03-05:00Stetson, Atlantic Sun champs
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<p>Nice hats.</p> <p><b>Who?</b> <a href="http://www.gohatters.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=14600&SPID=7834&SPSID=69246">The Hatters</a> of Stetson.</p>
<p><b>What?</b> As in the hats. Same guy. Their shiny new mascot is <a href="http://www.gohatters.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=14600&ATCLID=205365332&SPID=6741&SPSID=61841">John B.</a>, named for John B. Stetson. Apparently the old mascot scared children.</p>
<p><b>Where?</b> DeLand, Florida, where <i>The Waterboy</i> was filmed.</p>
<p><b>When?</b> March 9th, in Macon, Georgia.</p>
<p><b>Why?</b> They won the Atlantic Sun conference tournament.</p>
<p><b>How?</b> Down 13 at the half, the Hatters roared back down the stretch for a <a href="http://espn.go.com/ncw/boxscore?gameId=330680526">70-64</a> win over Florida Gulf Coast. Sasha Sims had 15 points and five blocks, Victoria McGowan had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Cherisse Burris added 14 points and six rebounds off the bench.</p>
<p><b>Surprise?</b> Predicted to finish first in the conference by the coaches, second by the media, and third by the fans. They finished second, four games behind Florida Gulf Coast.</p>
<p><b>RPI:</b> 93</p>
<p><b>SOS:</b> 286</p>
<p><b>Record:</b> <a href="http://www.gohatters.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=14600&SPID=7834&SPSID=69194">24-8</a> (14-4 Atlantic Sun)</p>
<p><b>Good wins:</b> Ball State, maybe?</p>
<p><b>Bad losses:</b> At Northern Kentucky.</p>
<p><b>Who's running this show? </b><a href="http://www.gohatters.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=69197&SPID=7834&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=14600&ATCLID=1477263&Q_SEASON=2011">Lynn Bria</a>, since 2008, a recruiting specialist.</p>
<p><b>Extra, Extra!</b> <a href="http://www.news-journalonline.com/section/SPORTS03">The Daytona Beach News-Journal</a>.</p>
<p><br>Senior guard Victoria McGowan leads the Hatters with 16 points, seven rebounds, and just over four assists per game; she's a walking triple-double threat any time she comes onto the court. But it's not the Victoria McGowan Show. Senior guard Shanasa Sanders and junior forward Sasha Sims, a most euphonious set of S's, were second team all-conference and can both light it up. I like the balance in the shooting percentages of the top five scorers- all five of them shoot at least 43% from the field.</p>
<p>A 7/16 A/TO wrecked their perfect 415/415. So much for stat geekery.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2013/3/9/4084568/ncaa-womens-basketball-tournament-2013-stetson-atlantic-sun-championsQueenie2013-03-09T15:00:05-05:002013-03-09T15:00:05-05:00FGCU's Sarah Hansen scouts Stetson for A-Sun title
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<p>The FGCU Eagles have advanced to the Atlantic Sun title game where they will play the Stetson Hatters. FGCU's Sarah Hansen shares their process of scouting and game planning for Stetson, a team that they've actually quite familiar with. </p> <p><i><b>Friday, March 8</b></i></p>
<p><b>Round Two- Semi Finals</b><br><br>After our game (two down - whoop whoop!), we watched the Stetson-Mercer game to see whom we would play, and possibly pick up some new information. Again, Coach wanted us to pay attention to the game and not text or use our cell phones. Watching each team and the different players, it was crazy how much you could really see. I know I’ve said it before, but when you actually watch the game, you start to see tendencies and preferences. There are so many tendencies players have that are so visible. Sometimes, it’s almost to the point where you can predict the move they will make or the shot they’ll shoot.<br><br>Stetson ended up winning. Mercer played them close most of the game, but Stetson ended up pulling away in the end. This will be the sixth time we have played Stetson in two years. They are also our travel partners, so we usually have a full week to prepare for them every time we play them. I think it’s safe to say we both know each other pretty well. They are a very athletic team, and have a lot of very good players. We are going to have to play a great team game if we want to finish off this tournament. Hopefully, we can carry something over from our game today.<br><br>After the second semifinal game, we had about forty-five minutes between the end of the game and our short walk-through back at Mount de Sales. I was SO tired from the early morning, so I decided to take a nap. I almost fell asleep before even getting under the covers. I like to keep our room at a pleasant 69 degrees though, so I couldn’t quite fall asleep on top of the covers (No, Brittany. It’s not freezing, it’s perfect).<br><br>We went to walk-through and did a lot of personnel preparation and went over a few of Stetson’s sets. It wasn’t long, but it was a good refresher for everything we needed to know and some things we might have forgotten. <br><br>When we got back to the hotel, we had about thirty minutes before we were back in the boardroom to go over the scouting report and film. Coach made the four seniors split up the scouting report to recite among them. We watched a few edits from them playing other teams, and a lot of edits from the previous two times we played them. We saw a lot of the areas where we could make improvements to increase scoring opportunities and limit their good looks at the basket. We also so what we did well and why it worked the previous two times. I think we are about as prepared as we can be going into game preparation tomorrow. <br><br>After film, we were all super hyped and ready to go cheer our men on in their semifinal game against Stetson. In the last meeting between the two teams, our men were winning at Stetson midway through the second half, but Stetson came back and took it from them. This game was also for a chance to play Mercer in the Championship game tomorrow, so we knew there would be a lot of intensity in the game. We were all on the bus waiting to head over to the gym. It’s about a two-minute bus ride from our hotel to the gym, and we were out of control the entire two minutes. Everyone was chanting and jumping around. Steph Haas even went as far as yelling that we were going to make Mercer’s arena like "the Nest" because we were going to get so crazy in the stands (No, we didn’t end up getting that loud).<br><br>The game was pretty good. There were a lot of big plays, and a few bad ones from our team, but they ended up getting the double-figure win. There were a few awesome hustle plays. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123528/chase-fieler">Chase Fieler</a> made a diving play to try to keep on possession alive. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99844/sherwood-brown">Sherwood Brown</a> (A-Sun Player of the Year) also dove over one of the managers and almost over the water jug, but ended up knocking it all over in attempt to save a possession. Both plays ended up going out of bounds, but the hustle they made to try to save one possession was really awesome to see. And Sherwood almost jumped his bench and a water jug. It’s incredible how that boy can jump when he wants to. <br><br>Halftime was probably the best halftime I’ve seen in a long time. Azul [FGCU Mascot] and the Stetson Hatter guy had a dance off a half court. Azul definitely rocked it, but the Hatter put up a valiant fight. Then the mascots and both cheerleading squads did a Harlem shake when the music crew put the song on. It was definitely an entertaining two or three minutes. <br><br>Finally, we came back to the hotel to rest up for the big game tomorrow. My dad gave me Jay Bilas’s book on toughness, so I’m probably going to read some of that to see if it can help settle the feeling coming on in my stomach again. I’ve heard it’s an awesome book, so I’m really looking forward to it. After that, it will be a little basketball talk with Brittany (Kennedy) as we fall asleep.<br><br>We just have to go out there tomorrow and keep doing what we’re doing. This is the game we’ve set ourselves up for all season, and it’s finally here. It should be a good game against two very good teams. We just have to execute our game plan, and leave everything on the court. We’re about to head into the opportunity most athletes dream about: a chance to play for an opportunity to go dancing. Hopefully the next time I’m writing, I’ll be a champion. <br><br>PLAY LIKE AN EAGLE</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2013/3/9/4081980/ncaa-atlantic-sun-womens-basketball-tournament-2013-fgcu-vs-stetson-previewMike Robinson2013-03-09T10:29:06-05:002013-03-09T10:29:06-05:00FGCU advances to A-Sun title game
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<p>After eliminating North Florida from the Atlantic Sun tournament yesterday, FGCU is looking forward to today's game against Stetson in the championship game today at 5:30 p.m. EDT.</p> <p><b>Day 4 - Friday, March 8</b></p>
<p>Oh yeah, game day! I didn’t wake up feeling well rested, which I attribute to my excitement. Sarah (Hansen) and I gave each other pep talks last night -- about what we were going to do this game to help be successful. We both knew North Florida played us the closest in both games during league play, so we were determined to not let that happen again. Regardless, I was ready to go and focused for what would be coming at us at 12 pm. Game preparation was at 7 am, and we were allowed on the court just under an hour which was nice. We didn’t have to rush through any of our preparation points; we knew what plays they would be running the majority of the game, so to start game preparation we split up guards and post. On the guard end we worked on the switching we would do and talked about the importance of our communication, in order to take away the actions they wanted to do. We didn’t look or sound good. Coach (Smesko) brought us together to remind us of what we saw in film, and repeating those actions would cause us to be in another tight game with them. We immediately turned it around and picked up the communication.</p>
<p>The rest of game preparation wasn’t terrible, but it didn’t sound the way it needed to for such a big game. We are better then what we portrayed in game prep this morning and it would be vital (that) we had a great warm-up -- with lots of energy to get us going. There were good times we defended their sets and others not so much; we must focus more during the game.</p>
<p>Immediately when we got back, we had pregame meal. Since our game was early, our pre game meal was breakfast food. Once again I had bacon, juice, and eggs, no breakfast potatoes because my teammates ate them all. After my shower I usually, get off my legs and watch TV or do homework but today I decided to join in with Sarah on her ritual and take a power nap. Ask anybody who knows me and they would tell you I don’t do naps in the middle of the day unless I’m sick. But like I said, I didn’t feel that well rested, and I needed to be for this game. The nap was a life saver, thirty minutes was all I needed and it helped me a ton.</p>
<p>As far as pregame rituals I have a few. I always have to listen to music and dance. The two songs I always listen to are Put it Down by Brandy featuring Chris Brown and The Motto by Drake. Other than that I listen to pretty much anything Chris Brown or that has a good beat. My teammates will deny it, but they love to hear me rap. I can sing, but rapping is not my game. Today I rapped The Motto to Whitney and she joined in with me as I danced around the locker room; I got about 35% of the lyrics right. The entire team knows I love to make everyone laugh with my silliness by making up lyrics or saying some sound that at least goes with the rhythm. It’s fun to dance around and loosen up before the game.</p>
<p>I get my knee taped, but I can’t get it taped until Sarah gets her ankle taped which means Joyce has to get her Achilles taped before Sarah. Just the way it has been all year long, so we’re going to continue to do that. When our athletic trainer Brittany Loring tapes me, I sing whatever song is on, and she usually joins in. After she tapes me, I give her my necklace with my number on it (24) to wear during the game. My sister Jennifer bought it for me in high school, and ever since then I wear it ever game day. The last two rituals I have to do is pray, which I do during the national anthem to thank Him for the blessings he has given our team, protect both teams free of any serious injuries -- and for the safe travels of the fans there and those who are watching elsewhere. The last thing I must do before every game is touch the back of my shoes before the tip. Both shoes have the number, initials and nickname of two teammates who unfortunately tore their ACL’s this year. Whitney (Knight) is on my left and Taylor (Gradinjan) on my right. For me I know they’re out there with us on the court even though they can’t play.</p>
<p>We got off to a great start this afternoon. The entire team was determined to not have a close game with North Florida again and play the game the way we knew how to. We jumped on them early and scored easy baskets in transition. Our defensive intensity was much better on focusing on ball pressure and helping guard the post. It was great to see the improvement we made from just two nights ago. Every timeout Sarah, Joyce or I were telling the team to keep up what we were doing and keep North Florida on their heels and attack.</p>
<p>We attacked them all day starting at the tip. The first half was awesome. The second half we had some break downs but not enough for them to get close or looking sloppy like we did Wednesday. I am so proud of Joyce. She has been the catalyst for us this tournament. She’s playing with a chip on her shoulder and the entire team is right there supporting her. She made EVERY shot she took! Talk about shooting lights out. She attacked off the dribble and was draining threes when they went to their zone. Point blank period, they didn’t have an answer for her. None of the shots she took were forced which made it even better. I’m proud to have her as my teammate and playing with her. She has been a big reason why we have been successful both games thus far in the tournament. We have one more game to compete in. We’ve come this far and we aren’t stopping for anybody. I can’t wait for the championship game tomorrow!!</p>
<p>PLAY LIKE AN EAGLE!</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2013/3/9/4081944/atlantic-sun-womens-basketball-tournament-fgcu-brittany-kennedyMike Robinson2013-03-08T10:00:06-05:002013-03-08T10:00:06-05:00Sarah Hansen's journal: Studying for North Florida
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<p>FGCU guard Sarah Hansen checks in with a journal about how her team prepared to play North Florida today at 12 p.m. EDT in the Atlantic Sun women's basketball tournament. </p> <p>Preparation Day<br><br>Going into progress today, we still did not know who we would be playing. Our second practice was at Mount de Sales Academy again, and we focused on preparing for USC Upstate. We split our two practices between the two teams, and Upstate happened to be the late practice. We talked about personnel, went over their set plays, and worked on cleaning up some of our actions and plays. It was relatively short. Coach (Smesko) even went as far as calling it a “Walk-through,” something we rarely have in our program. It went pretty smoothly. <br><br>About halfway through progress, Brittany (Kennedy) and I started making a beat off the wall mats. Joyce (Iamstrong) decided she wanted to join in, so she busted out in some wild cheerleading moves. Needless to say, we all started laughing. Joyce is definitely not the cheerleading type.<br><br>After progress, we were walking off the court, and Coach asked Grammy (Betsy Adams) and I if she was going to be able to score on the girl guarding her tomorrow. We both said yes, that she would get buckets, and Coach asked how. She said by screening for me to get the match-up we wanted, which was the answer Coach was looking for. We both got a little too excited and went to high five. We missed… and Grammy hit me square in the face. We might be able to play cohesively on the court, but we definitely cannot work together to high five when we’re both excited. Coach got a few laughs out of that one. <br><br>Once we were back to the hotel, we had about an hour before we got dinner. Brittany and I hung out in the room, watching some television. I wasn’t really watching though. I decided to work on some homework. Even though we’re on spring break and at the conference tournament, I figured I should probably try to get some work done so I don’t have hours and hours to do when we get back to the Fort. I am still a student. Who would have thought?<br><br>Dinner was pretty relaxed. We just had Carrabba’s delivered. They forgot my food order though, so I had to eat [assistant coach Chelsea] Lyles’ dinner (thanks for having my back and sharing, Lyles!). Then we went over to watch the UNF-USC Upstate game. Finally, we were going to find out whom we played. I had a good time sitting with my teammates. They’re always a good time. Also, I just love watching basketball and being in the gym, so it was a great night for me. <br><br>Sitting next to Joyce is always a good time. You never know what you’re going to get with her. At one point, one of the Upstate girls made a move and found her teammate on the weak side block and Joyce about lost it. I mean she almost fell out of her seat and ooh-ed. It was a good find, but nothing like Joyce made it out to be. Grammy and I got a few laughs out of that one. <br><br>The game was really close. There were a lot of lead changes and ties. We got to see what we needed to do to win and what each team liked to do. Coach told us we had to put our phones down and actually watch for their tendencies and plays. It really helped a lot of us. When you actually take the time to watch the game, you can learn so much and see so much develop. The game was tied with a little under a minute left, and UNF hit a big three to take the lead. Upstate came down and got a bucket, but it was only a lay-up, so they were still down one with just under ten seconds to go. They fouled UNF, who made both of their free throws. Upstate got a last second shot up, but it really wasn’t that close. Looks like we’ve got UNF tomorrow!<br><br>After the game, we came back to watch film and go over out scouting report for UNF. After we read and memorize the scouting report, Coach picks a random person to recite what they can without the game plan in front of them. I was the lucky person today. We watched some film from UNF playing other teams, and then we watched edits from both of our previous games. Seeing our mistakes and the reasons we allowed them to play us close the last two times really helped. There are quite a few areas we need to improve on, but they are really easy fixes. We finally called it a night, and went up to our rooms. <br><br>I’ve been slowly getting that feeling all day, but now it’s here for sure. I can’t wait to take the court to battle with my teammates, my family, tomorrow afternoon. Time to focus, and do what we know how to do again: play hard, and leave it all on the court. Noon can’t get here soon enough.<br><br>PLAY LIKE AN EAGLE</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2013/3/8/4078054/ncaa-asun-womens-basketball-tournament-fgcu-sarah-hansen-journalMike Robinson2013-03-07T22:02:43-05:002013-03-07T22:02:43-05:00Brittany Kennedy's journal: Ready for N. Florida
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<p>FGCU guard Brittany Kennedy discusses how her team prepared for their game against the North Florida Ospreys today.</p> <p>Day 3: March 7, 2013</p>
<p>My alarm was set to go off at 8:50 am to get up for breakfast, but since I couldn’t sleep anymore I was up at 8:10 am. I’m really loving being able to sleep in and wake up to sunlight outside and not the stars. I love gazing at stars, but it isn’t the same going to bed and waking up to them. For breakfast I had bacon, juice, and breakfast potatoes again. I had a light breakfast since we are having progress (our name for practice) shortly after eating.</p>
<p>Practice went great today. Before we started Coach (Smesko) talked to us again since we weren’t able to get on the court again. This first progress we were going to focus on one of the possible teams, North Florida and doing shooting. Coach discussed personnel and how we were going to guard each of their players. Along with personnel came with how North Florida would guard us and how we would use that to our advantage to help us be best prepared and successful.</p>
<p>To get warm after our talk, we did our usual laps, just to get our muscles moving. We split into guards and post today. On the guard end we worked on guarding dribble penetration and keeping the ball on a side when a guard penetrates and pitches and cuts out to the same side they just pitched it to. We’ve done this a lot during the season, but today it was better and Coach (Abby) Scharlow didn’t have to stop us but a few times to give us reminders about guarding and being ready to guard.</p>
<p>North Florida played us the close both times in the regular season, so if we are playing them I know we all want to be ready and bring our best game. Our communication on a couple of their sets gets rocky and that usually stems from having weak communication. Today was a different story. Everybody on the court was loud and communicated early to make sure we defended the way we wanted to. Coach even said maybe we’ll guard them better. I feel we will if they are the team we are playing tomorrow. Again we did shooting where I shot with Sarah (Hansen) and Betsy (Adams). Practice went well and we walked away from the court with a good feeling of what we’re doing potentially playing North Florida.</p>
<p>Back in our room Sarah and I showered quickly so we could go watch the Mercer/Jacksonville game. Betsy came with us; the coaching staff was already over there. Again the game didn’t get off to a good start from either team. I got the feeling all teams had the excitement factor of the tournament being here and again having to play a team they already played twice this year. The game stayed closed with both teams going on runs; in the end Mercer protected their home court and advanced to the semifinals vs. Stetson.</p>
<p>Walking back to the hotel added some excitement. Coach decided he wanted to power walk back. The rest of us laughed at him because we all knew when we caught up to him at the hotel he would say I’ve been waiting where were you guys. So, Betsy and I decided to pick up our pace and once we got a little closer we would sprint past him. We took off sprinting to the front door which was only about 20 yards away. Betsy and I clearly beat him, but he felt he won. Wrong lol! The lady at the front desk ended up being the judge and saying we got him just at the end. Coach says we’re wrong, but we had an eye witness saying Betsy and I were the winners. Betsy and I (1)...Coach (0). #victoryisours</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2013/3/7/4076774/ncaa-atlantic-sun-womens-basketball-tournament-2013-brittany-kennedyMike Robinson2013-03-07T08:00:09-05:002013-03-07T08:00:09-05:00Brittany Kennedy's journal: Post-game film study
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<p>FGCU's Brittany Kennedy discusses the team's night after their win over Kennesaw State, which included a film study session in the hotel.</p> <p>Day 2: March 6, 2013</p>
<p>After our game we stayed to cheer on our men. They were playing North Florida who has one of the best shooters in the country. It’s always nice to be able to have both teams there to support one another; adds to the fan base -- we are fortunate enough to have made the trip up to Macon. The game was a tight one the entire game, our men finally pulled away with a huge second half from Bernard (Thompson). Bernard and Sherwood (Brown) were both playing with a little bit more of a chip on their shoulders -- after being named A-Sun Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year respectfully. It was pretty cool so see those awards go to our school solely on the men and women side. I’m happy, that both they and we get to play again; I’m looking forward to being able to cheer for them again Friday. Go Eagles!!</p>
<p>After the men’s game we headed back to the hotel to shower and eat dinner. We didn’t have much time considering we were going to watch Stetson and ETSU. For dinner we had pasta, chicken, veggies, garlic bread and a salad. Chicken was pretty dry so after one bite I left that on my plate but the pasta and garlic bread was on point.</p>
<p>The game was close pretty close the entire game. Stetson started the game off rocky even though they were the upper seed, kind of like we did. ETSU is a team that plays well late in the season, and they gave Stetson a run for their money. Watching other games always gets my competitive fire going, whether I’m watching in person or yelling at my TV back in my dorm. Both teams made some plays that I just didn’t understand, but I’m sure watching our game there were plays that irritated other people too. Mel (Thomas) had to remind me that seeing how both teams were playing -- if we took care of business, that those passes and moves they were making were actions I could use to exploit them if they are the team we play later in the tournament. Stetson started to pull away but a couple of big baskets by Destiny (Mitchell) and ETSU were only down by a few possessions. ETSU eventually had to foul to stop the clock, and Stetson made their free throws to close the game out.</p>
<p>Again we had a short amount of time back at the hotel before we had something else to do. I just chilled in my room before going to film in Coach (Smesko’s) room. We didn’t have a lot of clips to watch, this time, but the ones we did are vital for the next game. The first segment we had focused on the missed block outs we had versus Kennesaw (State). We gave up way too many second chance points, just because we weren’t ready to box somebody out when the shot went up. Not boxing them out without backside and probably most important not creating space on the box out by being low and strong. Good thing for us we do have another chance to correct it, and we will. The other segment was on how we guarded in the post. We are probably the smallest team in conference so teams attack us inside. As a team we didn’t do a good job of guarding the post. We allowed our bigger kids to guard one on one in the post and that isn’t how we play. All five on the court have to contribute to stopping the post which we will correct and do for Friday’s game. We’re prepared for the next team to pound it in to the post as well; we’ll be ready to stop them as a team! Not every team gets another chance to improve on their last game, especially in March, we are blessed to and we have to.</p>
<p>Best part about film is watching Top Plays from the game. An assistant coach always gets some music playing and we all relive the shot, rebound, loose ball, steal or block and get excited for one another. We have a good time and laugh at each other if we see somebody trips or when Joyce (Iamstrong) gets super excited for her own plays and nobody else’s lol. The girl is a mess, but I love her at least she can take when the team laughs at her. Watching top plays allows us to see what worked well and doing it again we will probably see it on top plays again. We did our “eagle” cheer after film and then everybody filled out our food orders for tomorrow before leaving Coach’s room.</p>
<p>Sarah and I chilled in our room talking about we have to turn it up, and both of us wanting Friday to be here so we could play again. Early night though. We are going to have two practices today, film and scouting the other team as well.</p>
<p><i>For more on FGCU's postseason journey, check out <a target="_blank" href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2013/3/5/4069642/ncaa-womens-basketball-atlantic-sun-tournament-2013">our A-Sun tournament storystream</a>. </i></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2013/3/7/4073978/ncaa-atlantic-sun-womens-basketball-tournament-fgcu-vs-kennesaw-state-2013Mike Robinson2013-03-07T00:43:44-05:002013-03-07T00:43:44-05:00Sarah Hansen on FGCU's win in A-Sun tournament
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<figcaption>Photo by Linwood Ferguson.</figcaption>
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<p>FGCU guard Sarah Hansen shares her thoughts on <a href="http://www.fgcuathletics.com/wbasketball/news/2012-13/6011/iamstrongs-big-day-leads-1-fgcu_wbb-over-8-ksu-in-asunwbb-quarterfinal/" target="new">their 73-47 win over the Kennesaw State Owls</a> in the quarterfinals of the 2013 Atlantic Sun Tournament.</p> <p>Round One- Quarter Finals<br><br>Today’s the day. Finally game day. What we’ve worked for all season began today. Our second season. You never know what will happen when it comes to March. Every team is playing their best basketball, not only hoping for the opportunity to achieve success when it really counts, but also to continue their season as long as possible.<br><br>When it comes to game day, I’m probably about as dedicated to my pregame routine as you can get. It gets a little crazy with the noon tip-off (our games are usually around 5 or 7), but I usually find a way to fit it all in. <br><br>My day started at 6:55 am. My alarm went off, and there was no time for just laying around. We were leaving for shoot around at 7:10 am, earlier than I would like to be awake, but much better than the 4.50 am alarm I hear on weekdays for practice, so I’ll take it.</p>
<p>On the way to shoot around, it hit me that it’s game day, and the most important game of our season up to this point. I started to get that feeling in my stomach. You know the one where you feel a combination of butterflies and a knot in your stomach and you just want to take a deep breath and let it out, but it only helps for about five seconds? Yeah. That feeling.</p>
<p>We got to shoot around and got ready to go on the court. We had to wait for Kennesaw to get done, so Coach (Smesko) asked us about some personnel and our conference goals. When we finally got on the floor, we only had twenty-five minutes for shoot around, or game preparation as we call it (compared to the usual full hour). We had to have extreme focus. Game prep went pretty well for the most part. We only had one stretch where our communication wasn’t where it needed to be, and Coach made sure we knew. <br><br>After game prep, we came back to the hotel and had pregame meal. On typical game days, we have a pregame meal consisting of chicken, some sort of green vegetable, rice or pasta, a salad, and water. We have this meal before every later game, meaning we have it twice a week. If I didn’t like the food so much, I would probably get sick of it about halfway through season. Lucky for me, I really like chicken. This morning however, pregame meal was at 8:15 in the morning, a little early for chicken. We had eggs, bacon or sausage, breakfast potatoes, and a biscuit. No sugar for breakfast on game day. <br><br>After pregame meal, I got into my abbreviated routine. First, I had to shower. Then, I squeeze in a nap. Usually it’s around an hour long, but with the early game, I only had time for half an hour. Yes, I was napping before most typical college students even wake up. I woke up an hour before we leave to blow dry and straighten my hair. It’s so much easier to manage when it’s straight and not a big curly mess.</p>
<p>Finally, I packed up and went down to get taped. All the while, I was wearing my chartreuse GAME TONIGHT shirt. We got them my freshmen year, and I have worn it every game day since, all just part of my superstition. One time, Amanda Moore asked me if I didn’t wear my shirt, would there still be a “game tonight.” Grammy and I both agreed that there definitely would not be a game if I didn’t wear it. <br><br>We had to get taped at the hotel today because we were leaving only half an hour before we got on the court. Our taping order is very specific: Joyce gets her ankle and Achilles taped first, then I get my ankle taped, and finally Brittany gets her knee taped. The best days are when I get the tape stitch in my ankle tape. Then I know it’s going to be a good day. While I’m getting taped, I listen to Papers by Usher and usually sing to our trainer, Brittany Loring. If I ever sing in my head or forget, Brit makes sure I cut that out right away. <br><br>After getting taped, I get my hair braided by our Director of Basketball Operations, Mel Thomas. Braiding my hair is another superstition I’ve done since my freshmen year. This year, I’ve started braiding Jaime Gluesing’s hair after I get mine done. <br><br>Getting ready in the locker room, I try to calm the nerves by listening to some music. I listen to a wide range of music, but I make sure I listen to Cinderella Man by Eminem. The lyrics to that song just really get me ready to play.<br><br>The game was a lot closer than it was the first two times we played them. Kennesaw hit the boards hard and were winning a lot of loose balls. They were playing us really well, but we finally managed to string together a run in the second half to pull away. We started making plays and getting better looks at the basket. Betsy made quite a few defensive plays in the second half, and that really helped our run. Joyce played an all around great game. She hit big shots when we needed them, got to the rim when we needed that, and crashed hard all game long. Steph Haas also had a great game. She was cutting so well and got to the rim when we needed a little spark. She also made a bunch of defensive plays when our defense was a little sluggish. We played a much better second half, but we know there are areas we need to improve if we want to keep winning in this tournament. <br><br>We really need to keep in mind that we need to come out hard every game. What we’ve done up to this point means nothing now. It’s a new game and a new team every night. We have to leave everything on the court every game. We can’t try to save anything for the next game, because there might not be a next game. I’m extremely happy with the outcome of the game, and I’m excited to get back on the court with my teammates tomorrow -- time to get back to work. One step closer to achieving what we came here to do.<br><br>PLAY LIKE AN EAGLE</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2013/3/7/4073732/ncaa-atlantic-sun-womens-basketball-tournament-fgcu-vs-kennesaw-state-2013Mike Robinson