Southwestern College Collegian

Issue date: 3/12/08 Section: Web Exclusive

It might take you seven and a half hours, but you'll eventually get to basketball paradise. That's about the duration of the trip to Sioux City, Iowa, from Winfield. It's packed with some of Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa's most interesting corn fields and nothingness. For your in-flight entertainment it will also feature no cell phone service and no radio stations for vast stretches. Once you walk into the Tyson Events Center it's all worth it. The ladies team fell short in round one action to Davenport University. The final score was 76-66 and the attendance for the game is listed as 506, but in a court that can fit around 10,000 that might as well be 56. Still, the atmosphere and the feel of the game were incredible. The game had an importance around it that few Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference games, even a Friends game or Sterling match up, don't seem to have. It felt official, and it was quite an experience. Credit goes to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and its officials. This tournament has run so smooth through the first few games. Everyone has been very respectful and quite accommodating. It's been a delight to be treated with such class. Anyone who came to this game-coaches, players, fans, and students-were all treated to a slice of fun. Sure, the women lost by 10 and struggled for much of the game against an excellent shooting team, the Davenport Panthers, but there will be many memories to everyone who came to the game. For every player on the team this was their first trip to the national tournament. The ladies drew a tough match against Davenport and even though they started slow they showed just why they were apart of this tournament. It was a game of runs and at times Southwestern looked like the better team. Davenport was a superb shooting squad though and its tough to overcome any match when the opposing team shoots 46 percent from the floor. The experience of the trip will last much longer than the memory of the final score. No respect was lost and I applaud the effort of this team all season long and especially the senior class. They made it fun to watch the women's basketball team this year. I'm going to miss Jenna Wilson out-rebounding larger players. I'm going to miss Kara Beal's ability to slash her way to the paint and out-quick the other team with a tear drop from six foot out. And I'm going to miss Cortney Gandy's intangible spark that she always gave to the team, the one that didn't show up on the stat sheet but showed up to those who saw her play. It was a great senior class and it was fun to watch the entire team this year. Everyone who contributed will be missed. It's a great feeling to be a part of the tournament. In the grand scheme of things it may not be the big time but it will suffice until it comes along. It was unfortunate that it ended on a loss but that will be fate for 31 out of the 32 teams attending this week. Congratulations to the Lady Moundbuilders on a great season. Anthony Cook is a junior majoring in communication. You may e-mail him at anthony.cook@sckans.edu.

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