Tour of Italy 2004
The Behrend Lions women's basketball team had
the privilege of going to Italy this August for an 11-day trip of
sightseeing and playing basketball against strong competition. The
team flew into Venice. Once they were settled in and got a brief look
at Venice, the team then traveled to Chioggia and Rimini for tours.
Next up was a view of Pisa and Florence. The remainder of the trip was
spent in Rome.
"It was a relaxed atmosphere, but when it was time for games we competed hard and played well," said head coach Roz Fornari. "We practiced for five days before the trip after a five and a half month layoff. Everyone got a chance to start and received equal playing time. Sometimes we played 15 or 20 minutes of the game without a point guard and still played good." The team was rusty, but managed to dominate against Florence's team and make the remaining games very close.
"Flying over the Alps was incredible because we were so close to the tops that were covered with snow," said sophomore forward Tenesha Aden (Sandy Lake/Lakeview). "As for basketball, it was different for us because instead of having two halves, we had four five-minute quarters. Also, instead of a change in possession for every jump ball, it was an actual jump ball between the two players that caused the jump ball. The key was smaller at the top, extended, and got bigger at the bottom. The European players were a lot more physical and fouls were called less."
The trip was a good experience for the women to experience Italy's culture, food, nightlife, and shopping. "It helped us with team unity," said Fornari. "We heard a lot less English at the beginning of the trip. Later on, we met more people who spoke English. When we heard a lot of Italian, we had to rely on each other a lot to understand some people. That [reliance on each other] will help us on the court."
Overall, the Behrend Lions had a wonderful experience and got a lot out of the trip. "No one complained about coming back with a tan," joked coach Fornari.