302 athletics Tropical Tip-off When presented with the good fortune to travel to Hawaii and participate in a tournament over Christmas break, women’s basketball head coach Tim Kirby immediately jumped at the chance. “As a coaching staff we felt that this was a great opportunity for our girls to grow and experience new things as a team,” Kirby said. The team left from the Little Rock Airport on Dec. 19. Following a layover in Houston, the team took-off on an eight-hour flight to Honolulu on the island of Oahu. Changing time zones, a concern for the team, proved not to be a problem. “We dealt with the time change going to Hawaii fine,” Kirby said. “The problem was coming back to Searcy and losing those four hours that we had gained.” Despite the distractions that a place like Hawaii could bring, the team showed up at the tournament ready to play. They played two games within three days of their arrival, beating both Hawaii Chaminade and Hawaii Pacific. While the Lady Bisons won their first game fairly easily, the second proved more difficult. “It came down to the last seven seconds,” junior Kaitlin May said. “But we found a way to win and really came together as a team.” Kirby understood the circumstances he was placing his team in by accepting the invitation to play in this tournament and prepared accordingly. “We prepared our scouting reports and gathered our game clips before we left, which really saved us a lot of time when we actually arrived,” Kirby said. “It allowed us to spend time experiencing the different things that Hawaii has to offer.” After notching two wins in the tournament, the team was excited to get out and explore the island before returning home. The group drove around and indulged in the cultural and tourist attractions that Hawaii offered. “We all had a good time just riding around the island and going to the beach,” senior guard Katherine McMenamy said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls to go with. We now share a special experience that we will remember for the rest of our lives.” The trip to Hawaii gave the Lady Bisons a chance to mold as a team and prepare for the season ahead. Returning home, the team continued their pursuit of making the Gulf South Conference tournament. With the help from some new faces like transfers senior Ashley Anderson and sophomore Makala McNair, the Lady Bisons looked to accomplish their goal. “Starting out we wanted to give the new players the expectations that we had for them,” Kirby said. “We wanted to let them know what the Lady Bison basketball team is all about.” With the combination of many newcomers and a load of experience, the Lady Bisons were able to face any challenge that came their way. Nathan Ramirez Lady Bisons travel to Hawaii, share wins and experiences Senior post Ashley Anderson attempts a layup in front of the Alabama-Huntsville defenders in a game played Dec. 13. Anderson finished the year second on the team in both rebounding and scoring. Craig Rainbolt Freshman guard Sierra Rollins maneuvers around a North Alabama defender to get to the basket in a game played Dec. 2. Rollins scored seven points in the game and had seven rebounds in the contest. Craig Rainbolt
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==