Cardiac Kids on the Court

If you are the kind of person who likes Symphony Sunday, a leisurely walk on a sunny afternoon, lemonade on the deck, or a nap while watching television, this Golden Eagle team is not for you. If, however, you love hanging meat on your tent post in bear country, you are the first to volunteer for para sailing, you walk your dog in a blizzard, and you rock climb without safety ropes, then you need to come watch the Golden Eagles play.

This team loves the drama of the last three minutes of play. They like making the coaches sweat, develop rabid heart beats, loose hair, gain wrinkles, and utter curse words which are not part of our normal vocabulary. Is this some sort of coaches' karma for a bad deed in the past? I'm not certain but I am aware that life on the Golden Eagle sideline is not for the faint of heart.

In the 12 games that we have played, 11 of them have been close in the last five minutes of play. Amazingly, in my 20 years of coaching, I've never experienced this phenomena. Usually, the game is won or lost long before the five minute mark. In fact, I've only coached perhaps 6 or 7 overtime games in my entire career. I have a feeling, though, that we might play a few overtime games this season.

It doesn't matter what the score is or how many points ahead or behind we are, the game is not over until the buzzer sounds. The fact that we don't quit is a positive sign of a team who wants to win. Last night against West Virginia State University, we managed to allow an eight point lead evaporate in the second half. We kept our heads, though, and kept fighting not allowing ourselves to surrender to a momentum swing.

Just to provide you a taste of action in the game, allow me to give you the last five minutes of the contest. With 5:22 remaining, the score is tied 63-63. For a long minute and a half, the score remains tied until Jihan Williams scores a lay-up giving the Eagles a 65-63 advantage. Jihan is fouled with 3:12 remaining during a shot attempt, misses her first free throw but nails her second one to provide a 66-63 edge. With a great stop defensively, the Eagles come back with a three point shot by Ali Tobias to increase the lead to 69-63 with 2:19 remaining. At this point, as a fan, you might believe there is a short amount of breathing room. NOT! The Yellow Jackets hit a three pointer by a player who has only made three treys all season to bring the score to 66-69 with 2:04 to play. WVSU comes back to score a jump shot a mere 20 seconds later to bring the game to 69-68. (Breathe.) With 1:20 left, Jihan is fouled again and misses the front end of her free throw but makes her second attempt to provide the Eagles with a short lead of 70-68. The lead is broken with 51 seconds remaining by a jumper from the Jackets. (There are a lot of time outs and drama I am leaving out, but I think you are getting the gist of it.) Veronica Carman, who at this point in the game is 2 for 10, drives to the basket with 29 seconds remaining to hit a jumper giving us the edge. We end the game by Lindsey Kentner missing her first free throw attempt but hitting her second, giving us a 73-70 victory. WHEW!

Did I mention that if your ticker is not in the best of shape that you should remain at home? And if for some reason, you cannot make it to the contest that you shouldn't listen to it on the radio? BUT if you are a daredevil, loving adventure, bring your red bull, take your adrenaline pill, and be prepared for lots of drama!

See you there!