Day #5 Goodwill Tour in Ecuador
8am Breakfast
10:30am Practice at the Universidad Central
8:30pm Game vs. Universidad de las Americas
We practiced at the Universidad Central for 2 = hours. We walked through our plays. Defensively we worked hard. The team looked as though they took last night's loss personal. They practiced with so much energy. The coaches showed our players a better way to fight through the screens. We spoke briefly about the opponent for tonight's game Universidad de las Americas, who has been coached by Freddy De Jesus during tournament time in Ecuador last summer.
After practice the players were given a couple of hours to themselves and were found scattered by the poolside. Some of them swimming and some just trying to get a tan. Coach Jackee Meadow was giving swimming lessons for our aqua-phobic players. Coach Meadow stated, Today's practice was an excellent one, letting them relax by the pool is not a problem.
Next up was lunch at the Metro Cafi. Our team ate cesaer salad, chicken fingers, asian chicken, spaghetti carbonara, steak and many other household meals as part of their pre-game. We were then allowed to relax at the hotel until it was time to depart for game # 3.
We arrived at the gym of the Benalcazar High School. There was a presentation of awards and uniforms for the start of the tournament. After the inaugural ceremony we started our warm-up for the game. After the warm up started for our 8:30pm start we were asked to start sooner. The situation is strange as they are so on the spot with their decisions. The starting line-ups were announced, we then presented the goodwill shirts to our opponent.
Finally the game begins, UDLA jumps out to an 8-4 lead before they go on a 12-0 run to lead 20-4 with 3:10 remaining. CUNY is down 14 points after the 1st quarter (22-8). A player who graduated from the University of Michigan was signed to play with this team during the tournament scored 14 of their teams 22 1st quarter points. She totally dominated us inside and out. She finished with 26 points. Lets talk a little about our dismal performance in the first half. We shot 8-35 from the floor and were only down 11 at the half. Our transition defense was non-existent. Coach Meadow and Coach Bostic must have really been put to the test down twenty and clawing their way back into the game down 2 points with 3:23 remaining in the game. The help of Jenny Deida (York College) off the bench, finished with 11 points, 4 steals, 4 rebounds, and 100% hustle. She left all out on the court tonight, said Robert Coleman Athletic Director at CCNY.
CUNY loses the game 62-56. We had two additional players score double digits (Michelle Wallace and Jennifer Ithier with 10 points apiece). CUNY falls to 1-2 on the trip and return to play Monday, July 5th, 2004 at 8pm vs. Pichincha at the Benalcazar High School Gym.
After the game our players ate pizza with the UDLA players.
