November 22, 2007
It was another great day for Texas A&M women?â„¢s basketball in the U.S. Virgin Islands. We started the day off with breakfast and then we were off to practice at Antilles High School. While the team took the court, Morenike and I had a chance to do some rehab work with our strength coach, Jen Jones. My rehab program is a little different from Mo?â„¢s, just because I have yet to have surgery for my ACL injury. Both of us rode on stationary bikes, while I did some single leg squats to build up my quad muscles in preparation for my December surgery.
We then returned to the hotel for pre-game meal and prepared for our first game at the Paradise Jam against Wichita State. Even though we have enjoyed the scenery in the USVI, it was good to finally get on the court and play. In his pre-game speech, Coach Blair told us to keep our focus and not to look at them as an underdog. We executed well and our transition was good against Wichita State. My favorite play was when Sydney passed the ball inside to Reado in the second half and it resulted in an And1 play. Overall, we just went out and played hard as we always do and defended them well. Final score: A&M 70, Wichita State 36.
After the game, it was time to enjoy a non-traditional Thanksgiving Dinner on the beach at Iggies Good Times Bistro. Once again, I ordered the fish and chips, while my teammates had a variety to choose from including mahi-mahi, shrimp and even a turkey and ham dinner. I especially enjoyed the karaoke performances by (Coach) Kelly and The Bonds as they brought down the house with their rendition of Tina Turner?â„¢s Proud Mary. Damitria, Sydney and Reado also sang Destiny?â„¢s Child?â„¢s Say My Name with Beyonce dance moves and all. It just goes to show how talented we are on-and-off the court.
This is my first trip to be so far away from home (especially on Thanksgiving), but it?â„¢s really a great experience for all of us to enjoy the competition and have fun in the islands. On a special note, we would like to send our best to both the football and men?â„¢s basketball teams. Tomorrow will be a big day for Aggie Athletics. After our game against Wake Forest, our eyes will be glued to the nearest television to see highlights of the football game and hopefully, we will catch the opening tip for the men?â„¢s NIT championship game on ESPN2. I went to three home football games this year and I can just imagine what it will be like tomorrow against t.u. Growing up watching the Kansas City Chiefs, the fans at Arrowhead Stadium are very similar to the fans at Kyle Field. Both support their teams very well and make both venues a hard place to win for visiting teams.
Good luck Ags and BTHOTU, BTHOOSU and BTHOWFU!
Tyra White is a freshman guard from Kansas City, Mo., and is majoring in journalism at Texas A&M