Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:
Webster defines the word "anomaly" to be any occurrence that is strange, unusual, or unique. It can also mean a discrepancy or deviation from an established rule, trend or pattern. This past week, perhaps more than any week I can ever remember, has been a week of anomalies for this city and our basketball program. Let me explain...
1.) Anomaly #1.....The Weather. I have lived in Joplin for over 25 years and have never experienced anything like the type of winter storm that engulfed the Midwest this week. Sure, there were the ice storms of 2006 and 2008, but this was completely different. Somewhere in the ballpark of 20 inches fell in Joplin within the span of 16 straight hours and brought the entire community (and all surrounding communities) to a complete and utter standstill. Anytime the term "winter blizzard" is used in Joplin (which, as I recall, is...NEVER) it isn't a good sign. At this point (3pm on Sunday), the city streets are FAR from cleared and our campus is still packed snow-filled parking lots and sidewalks. The "worst winter storm in Joplin since 1942" was definitely a unique occurrence.
2.) Anomaly #2....The (lack of) Practice. The thing that is so crippling about such a massive amount of snowfall is the inability to move it. Joplin does not have the equipment, resources, etc. to get this type of snow moved in a timely fashion (which is understandable considering the last time a storm like this hit, it was 1942). As a result, schools, businesses, and all travel was left at a standstill. In fact, we were completely unable to practice on Tuesday. You see, fearing the forecasts were true, all of our girls stayed on campus Monday night to ensure they could make it to the gym on Tuesday, regardless of the conditions. Late Monday night, the snow came and, much to their applause, school was canceled. With classes canceled, we were scheduled to practice at 1:00pm and the girls were completely prepared to find their way to the gym. There was just 1 minor problem...the coaches couldn't get there. All 4 of our staff were completely snowed in, with no chance navigating through the elements to get to the gym. Practice was canceled. In our program this is definitely a deviation from an established rule, trend or pattern.
3.) Anomaly #3....The Win. The road trip started off on the right foot with a win at Lincoln Univ on Thursday night. Thankful to come away with a road win that night, we turned our attention to the #9 team in the region, Missouri Western. The game, to be played at 5:30 on Saturday evening in St. Joseph, MO, had some rather bothersome statistics looming over it. You see, in the history of Missouri Southern Women's Basketball, the all-time record when playing at Missouri Western was 2-28. However, even that statistic is rather misleading when you realize that due to some NCAA sanctions at Missouri Western, 1 of those wins was a considered a "vacated win" by Western. Essentially, when the horn sounded to mark the completion of a game played in their gym, our program had been on the winning side of the score only 1 time(not to mention, it had been 17 years since that 1 win). The Cubs have the billy goat, the Red Sox have the curse of the Bambino....we have the curse of playing at Missouri Western.
After a Friday practice and Saturday shootaround on their floor, we felt ready to compete. After taking a 5 point lead into halftime, we found ourselves trailing by 2 points with under 5 minutes to go and the game hanging in the balance. Finishing the game with a GREAT defensive effort, solid free throw shooting, and a complete dominance in the rebounding margin, we were able to secure the win. Road game reveal character...this game (and entire road trip) revealed a lot about the character of our basketball team. So I guess, if an anomaly really is "any occurrence that is strange, unusual or unique" or "a discrepancy or deviation from an established rule, trend or pattern", then yeah, I'd say this particular win fits the description.
Road wins are so important for any team with big goals and dreams for their season. We have another HUGE one coming up this Wednesday at Pitt State Univ. We are looking forward to another GREAT rivalry game and would love to have you there! And if the last 7 days is an indicator, you never know...you may just see something that hasn't happened in a long time.
Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!
Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach
