Women's Basketball diary: Ronisha Major
Aug. 8, 2011
Hey Longhorn fans, We just finished our first game here in Europe against Hradec Kralove and we’re happy to say we began the season with a win! The final score was 89-60. We really pulled away in the third and fourth quarters, especially since we took just a 42-41 lead into halftime. Before we started the game, we had to learn the FIBA rules of basketball. Trust me, they are very different than the NCAA rules we are learning at Texas. Just a few of the changes we had were a 24-second shot clock, eight-second backcourt rule, the paint was much wider and the 3-point line was further back. I’d say it took us the first five minutes to adjust to the differences, but once we did, we found the rhythm we had developed during our practices this summer. The Hradec Kralove players did not speak any English, so we had to rely on hand signals to read their offensive and defensive schemes, especially since we didn’t have a scouting report on them. Also, they passed the ball one handed which is something we never see in the United States. Even though their players seemed to shoot really well, we found a way to limit their baskets to just 19 points in the third and fourth quarters combined. It was so exciting for me to play as a Longhorn tonight. I have been waiting for this game for such a long time, and now it’s hard to believe that it’s already come and gone. My teammates and I are definitely looking forward to our remaining games overseas, too. Together we are becoming a better basketball team and our time together here in Prague will also continue to make us better friends and teammates to one another. This really is the experience of a lifetime. That’s all for today, fans. Tomorrow is much like today with another game. We don’t have any sightseeing adventures on the agenda, so we’ll have a chance to sleep in, have breakfast and lunch together and do some stretching with Coach Wink before making the journey to our next opponent’s arena.
Thanks for following along with us while we’re away. I can’t wait to play in Austin in just a few more months for y’all. Sincerely, |
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