FRUSTRATION!

From the moment we got off of the bus, throughout warm ups, and on into the majority of the first half it appeared that our team wasn't mentally prepared for the game.  Throughout my career I've always been accustomed to mentally preparing for game day by visualizing the things that I need to do to help my team win, listening to music, and really focusing on the game plan prepared by my coaches.

Mental preparation has been very different for my teammates here.  By the end of the first quarter we were already down by 16 points. From there it slowly got worse, with most of our opponents points coming from beyond the arc.  They were 12 of 17 from the 3pt line at the half.


Their hot streak continued from the start of the second half. When a team is already the favorite to win the game, the last thing you want to do is commit turnovers or give up easy baskets.  Our lack of defensive pressure on them increased their confidence, which carried them through the remainder of the game. We made a few runs of our own, but never really got back into striking distance.  With this loss we fell into 8th place, lessening our chance of grabbing one of the playoff spots.  I finished the game with 45 points, 7 ast and 4 rebs, which is frustrating because we continue to lose.

NEW MUSIC!!

On Valentine's Day I released my second official mixtape, titled "214 Smooth Avenue".  Please take a listen here and let me know what you think.

TURN UP!!

Tied for 5th - Still Fighting...

Fighting for a playoff spot, we entered the game a little more upbeat.  It wasn't our best play, but at least we weren't as laid back as we have been in previous games.  The first half was a back and forth battle, showing that we could play with anybody in the league on a good day. At the half we were only down by 7. We went on a run at the start of the third and cut the lead down to two. They answered with a run of their own and pushed the lead back out to 12.  We spent a lot of energy trying to get back into the game, but from that point the game was never again in reach. We all could have played better, but there were definitely some positives coming out of the game.  I didn't feel like I played to well but I ended with 38 pts 6 ast and 6 rebs.  We are still in the hunt, now in a three way tie for 5th.  Next game scheduled for Friday, 2/14.

PLAYOFF HUNT!!

Playoffs start in March, so we have to start getting those last little cobwebs off and preparing mentally for the ensuing battles ahead.  Last Friday's opponent was more of a challenge than our last, but on paper we were still the better team. They were dealing with team injuries as well, but given our slow starts we were expecting a fight.  They came out the gate fast and focused as expected and took a small lead but that didn't last very long.

Once over our slow start we were able to take a 13pt lead into halftime.
They decided to change up their defensive plan in the second half, coming out in a zone.  The zone backfired, allowing us to go on a huge run of 3pt baskets and coasting to an easy victory.  Final score was 106-76.  I only played 4 or 5 minutes in the second half and ended the game with 33 pts, 2 rebs  and 4 assist.

We are now tied for 5th place, but have a lot more work to do to solidify our spot in the playoffs.
Visit our team page for more information on rank, schedule, etc.

HIGHLIGHTS!! OOH KILL EM

SHOWING SIGNS OF LIFE!!

Since coming back from the break we have not been able to get a quick start out of the gate and last weeks' game was no different. We were heavy favorites over our opponents which meant we should have had an easy game, but it ended up being a tight first quarter. Our spunk finally kicked in during the second quarter and we formed a comfortable lead before halftime. In the third, we came out with the same intensity as we had going into the half.  This lead to the game getting out of control and becoming very entertaining.  This was a good thing for our fans and even more for us to be able to rotate a lot of guys in and lift our confidence as a team.  We put on a good show. The final score was 103-73. I ended the game with 43 points 9 rebounds and 9 assist. Felt good to finally get another win under our belt.

SHAKING OFF THE COBWEBS

Friday's game was a rematch against an opponent who we easily beat in the first half of the season.  In these types of games, it's best you approach with the same aggression as if it's your first meeting.  You can never guarantee the outcome of any game, so it is best to limit any "additional factors" that could influence the end result.

In this rematch, we started out with very little intensity leading to bad defense and lack of offense.  As the game progressed we were able to shake off the holiday rust and start to ease back into our style of play. With refreshed intensity we were able to gain the lead in the second quarter and take it into half-time.

The third was a disaster.  It was as if we became comfortable with the lead and stopped doing the things that got us the win in the first half of the season and the first half of this game.  We seemed to be one step behind on every play, leading to a turnaround that put us down by 20.

There were spurts of fight towards the end of the third and throughout the fourth, which allowed us to cut the lead to seven.  Because of us having to use so much energy to get back in the game, we ran out of gas around the 1:41 mark. In the end, our "additional factor" that influenced our loss was the number of turnovers.

The final score was 98-112. I ended the game with 50 pts, 6 rebs and 6 ast.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO ALIYAH

I've had this one in the catalog for a while now.  Some have heard it, some haven't.  Either way, I wanted to make sure tribute is paid to the late beautiful, and talented Aliyah.

Happy Birthday!! Thanks for being such an inspiration.

GAMETIME!! - JAN. 10

We got back at it on January 10th! Our team started off slow, but never fell behind to far. Guess a little rust is expected after a two week break of games. The first half was all about getting back in sync with one another and getting our legs back under us. The first half wasn't that bad. We actually took the lead a couple of times, but was dominated on the boards. We lost our two big men right before the holiday break, so it hurt not having that size in the paint. At the half we were down eight. We made a big run at the start of the second half, cutting into their lead. We stuck with the team throughout teh second half, but unfortunately was never able to gain the lead. We ending up losing the game 100-84. The story of the game was a "battle of the boards", which we lost 42-23. Offensively, things were pretty good for the break, but we have got to work on figuring things out defensively. I finished the game with 31 points 7 assist 5 rebounds and 5 steals.

Next Game: Friday, January 17, 2014

I'M BAAAAACCCCKKKK!!!

Finally back at it after that two week holiday break! Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. My teammates were great hostess and invited me along to Christmas and New Years dinner. Even got me some gifts. I spent my two weeks working on my music, so be on the lookout for new tracks soon.  BOOM!!! BOOM!!!