Our last game prior to winter break, vs. Cornell College, had some great aspects and some challenges. We opened up the game with a very hot offensive hand, led by Jessica Shotts and Jodi Watkins from behind the arch. Shotts ended the game with 9 threes, tying a Grinnell College record.
Leading by 10 at the half, Cornell slowly chipped away at and came back to win the game. Often with inexperienced teams, like ourselves, keeping a lead is harder than creating one. You need to be able to control the tempo of the game and get repeated defensive stops. Most importantly you need to be able to stay mentally focused and use the game clock as your ally, not enemy. These are things we will continue to work on and improve on. Close games like this one will only make us a better team in the future.
Despite the lose, there are great things to take away from this game. First, we put some points up on the board and we came out strong offensively in the first half. Secondly, we had some fantastic defensive possessions throughout the game, representing a marked improvement in our ability to play team defense. Lastly, and most important, there was an excitement on the court that has not been there previously. Players were celebrating, cheering, and congratulating their fellow teammates with a fire and intensity that was inspiring. We were having fun and we weren't afraid to show it. We were loud and emotional. Out of this energy came a lot of good stuff. And a lot of good basketball will come in the future if we never forget how fun the game is, how fun it is to play as a Pioneer.
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