Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Amanda Bulin Diary
3/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 11, 2006
Dothan, AL - Saturday March 11, 2006
Before the game:
As I predicted last night, our guards completely shut down Mercer's best player Sally Skeldon. She got flustered early and took herself out of her game. Fortunately for the Bears, they had a couple other players pick up the slack and keep them in the game early.
Advantageously to our team, we also had a couple players step up and make big shots and get key stops to seal the win to allow us to proceed to the A-Sun Championship game against Gardner-Webb. Sharia Young was our spark plug off the bench going 2-for-3 from the three-point range at key times and ended the night with 10 points.
Having played at 8:15 last night as mentioned before, our turnaround time for the championship is quite minimal. We have found that the only time to watch film is to and from the gym, hotel, and Shoney's (our home away from home). Fortunately for us, we seem to match up very well with Gardner-Webb. Having played them twice we are no stranger to their game plan or style of play. They are led by a highly respected coach, Rick Reeves, who we know will have his team ready from the tip. There two go to players are Sequenta Blackman and Shameka Smith, whom have both been tampered by injuries and fatigue all team. Smith is coming off of a remarkable performance against the Belmont Bruins, having posted 14 points and 20 rebounds.
Today's agenda is packed leading up to the game. We have shoot around from 9 to 10, then we are heading to Shoney's for our pre-game meal, and have to be packed, showered, and on the bus by 11:30 a.m. Tip-off is at 1 p.m., which will allow us about an hour and a half to get taped, iced, stretched, and ready for the game. Honestly, have such a packed schedule, it to a great advantage for our team. It doesn't allow for us to have any time to think about the magnitude of the championship game. We are 0-2 on T.V., but hopefully we can change that today, as our game will be televised on CSS. I am so confident in my team's ability to bring the trophy home, that I just gave my roommate, former player, Jackie Brown, one of my travel bags, so that the trophy can be my carry-on for the plane ride home.
After the game:
This entry is going to be short and sweet, because I am absolutely elated and at a loss of words for the first time in my life, which many of my teammates and coaches can attest to. We, Florida Atlantic University, are the 2006 A-Sun Conference Champions, and are headed to "The Dance." Being that I am a senior and this is my last go around, this feeling of jubilation, is one of which no critic or "hater" can take away from me or the rest of my team. We may be the most hated team in the conference, due to our intensity and ability to rise to ANY challenge, but we have the hardware, and that's all there is to it. No individual achievement, reward, recognition, feat or lacks there of can ever overshadow what we have accomplished over the year as a whole.
Throughout the entire season, we have won as a team and lost as a team, so this feeling right now is unbelievable. The culmination of 18 different people (including the coaching staff) with 18 different backgrounds, wants, needs, lifestyles, goals, etc. to be able to come together as one to achieve such a tremendous team goal is absolutely amazing. I honestly don't think it has even hit me yet! We are the 2006 A-Sun Champions and I have my carry-on!
