Florida

Thanksgiving is a time that gives you the opportunity to reflect on the things you are thankful for.

Looking at this trip, I don’t even know where to start to express how thankful and grateful I am for the opportunity to play at the Gulf Coast Showcase. So far it has been an amazing experience.

After our game on Wednesday against CCSU we went straight to the airport to catch our plane to Newark and from there to Fort Lauderale. We landed in Florida at midnight and arrived at our hotel at 2 a.m..

After we got a good night sleep we were finally able to take in the beauty of the place we would call home for the next five days. It was breathtaking. The hotel was huge with approximately ten outside pools, the food was delicious and the view from our hotel room was gorgeous.

You want to know the best thing? I was able to spend it with 22 of my favorite people. You are supposed to spend Thanksgiving with family, the people you love and are grateful for.

I couldn’t have imagined a better way to spent this day.

We lost our first game against Dayton on Friday with 37-58. We played a great half court defense. Dayton is a team that averages 83.0 points per game, so for us holding them to only 58 was a success.

The thing with great teams like Dayton is, they make you pay for every small mistake you make. Playing a great defense isn’t enough, you have to play well on offense, limit turnovers and win the rebound battle.

I like playing in tournaments like this, because you don’t have a lot of time to think about your past. We watched film, talked about our mistakes and communicated what we have to do better in the next game against Missouri State.

Missouri State is a team with a lot of great shooters, and a strong inside game. We had a really good game plan going into the game and I think for the most part we executed very well. Sigi Koizar had one of the most impressive games I have ever seen. She took over in times when we really needed a score or a stop in defense. With scoring 30 points she tied the tournament single game record. Sigi is probably the hardest working player on our team and seeing her being successful proves that hard work does pay off.

Not only did we win the game with 69-65, but we were also able to celebrate it with the friends group and some family members, who came all the way down to Florida to support us. There is no better feeling that knowing you have support no matter where you go.

I know it already was Thanksgiving, but it is never to late to let people know how much you appreciate them and how thankful you are for everything they do.

Everybody who came all the way down to Florida to watch us play – thank you so much. Your support means the world to us and seeing you cheering in the stands so far away from home makes us play even harder.

Now let’s get this W against LSU tomorrow in the final day of the Gulf Coast Showcase.

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Anna Heise

About Anna Heise

I am a member of the women's basketball team. I am currently a senior, journalism major with a minor in creative writing and child development. I am from Germany. When I am not in the gym I enjoy reading, traveling and trying out new food.