November 9th, 2014 | Uncategorized
Although I love Cork and the basketball environment, I cannot say I love the long car ride from Northern Ireland to the very south of Ireland. The basketball gods decided to send us back to Cork (where we played our preseason tournament) for the first round of the National Cup; therefore, after pulling an all-nighter to finish a paper (as I did many a time at Davidson) I quickly packed my bags and headed to Cork.
Luckily, this time we got to stay at the stately Montenotte Hotel, which was a giant step up from the hostel on our last trip. When I arrived here, I realized I would get my own room with a king-sized bed, which is one of the benefits of coaching girls’ basketball and being the only male on the trip. Even better, there was a large breakfast buffet which was reminiscent of the breakfasts we would get on Davidson road trips. Naturally, I got my money’s worth and enjoyed a glutinous breakfast as any American would.
After enjoying the initial luxuries of the trip, it was time to go coach! The gym was surrounded by cow-filled farms, as any Irish basketball court would and should be, and we were ready to play. We won our first game handedly (70-33 against Marre), but unfortunately, we struggled in our second pool game against an experienced team and lost 65-52 to Templeogue. We let our nerves get the best of us, but we still have a chance to bounce back tomorrow and continue on in the Cup!
Victory Scholar: Ryan Ansel
Sport League: Atlantic 10
Present University: University of Ulster
Alma Mater: Davidson University
