Despite the freezing temperatures, winter break has been great for the Pioneers. We started the year off with a tremendous victory against Augustana in the beginning of January. It felt, for the first time, that we understood how to play a close game, and our focus on defense paid its dividends. I was proud of the athletes 1-12 for their contributions to that win. Everyone has a role on our team, and to win, we need to fulfill each role... from scorer to substitute.
We played hard fought battles against conference opponents Illinois College and Lake Forest, both excellent teams. Despite losing both, our fighting mentality was evident in each competition. Our challenge as a program is to step on the court with that fighter's attitude from the beginning and not to wait until we are down by 10 or 12. That tough attitude needs to be apparent in every practice and every moment of the game. We need to be hungry, to play with a chip on our shoulders. Only then will we play to our fullest potential and become the best players, and best team, we can be.
This weekend we face two of the best teams in the conference, Carroll and St. Norbert. Each team is full of athletes and hustlers. Our goal as a team is to limit our turnovers and play to the level that we know we are capable of... right from the tip off. I spoke yesterday to the team regarding the stigma associated with these two great opponents. I mentioned the similarities between our team and theirs and the fact that until the final buzzer rings, they have not yet beaten us. So we can not enter the game afraid or timid, but confident and sure of ourselves and our teammates. Make them prove their worth, their reputation. We have something to prove as well.
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