Okay Tisha You Can Have Your Job Back...Antalya Koleji vs. Optimum Ted Ankara Kolejliler

Antalya Koleji vs Optimum Ted Ankara Kolejliler 75-90

Statline: 27pts 18rebs

I'm baaaaaaaaack everybody!!! Give it up for your girl EeTisha Riddle.  From the audience back on the court in a weeks time give her a hand! LOL.  But yeah I went out there to prove a point for starters.  You should have let me finish ALL my games I mean you could at least do that much I been here sense October!  We had the lead the entire game and a nice cushion but they were still in striking distance.  I was doing my thing though I was 12 for 16 from the floor.  Running up and down the court like Speedy Gonzalez.  Lay-up after lay-up rebound after rebound I controlled the game.  We got a nice lead and the scoreboard said that I had 30 points so the Coach sat me down but the official stats had me for 27.  I know I didn't miss four times either I missed three times. They be cheating haha.  But it was a good game for us we needed one of those fun up and down games.  Plus it was a good homecomming for Betul she got to play in front of her mom and family.  She shot the mess out of the ball too! I was like daaaaaamn girl hometown rims love you!

Well, I got my job back to say the least.  I was happy I could play again.  I mean the worse thing you can do to me is to take basketball away from me.  Basketball is all I have bad enough I'm a million miles away from home. Even when I'm at home I still have problems because I'm not playing competitive basketball.  The past two weeks I was sick without it.  The sad thing was that they sent my homie home.  Back to the old me which is being alone and isolated from the rest of the world.  The month she was here was bananas! I had fun.  Which made me look at overseas in a new light.  My past experience was the worst.  I was alone and isolated I had nobody not even teamates.  When you have people that you can relate to and be around overseas is not bad at all.  I wasn't even homesick!!  That's why I hope that I can finally prove that I can play in the 1st Division where I can be with other Americans instead of being the only one.  Once you've seen the light of the outside world you dont want to go back to the dark.  But, I have to finish my journey just like I started it...alone.

Game Capsule: Um You Can't Sit Here...İzmir Bşb vs. Optimum Ted Ankara Kolejliler

2-6-10 İzmir Bşb vs. Optimum Ted Ankara Kolejliler 76-55


Statline: DNP

First off I was aggrivated that I found out that I wasn't on the roster to play in this game.  I was told that I could finish my games!!! The girls aren't even use to playing with Tay yet nor does she know all the plays yet.  Let her play in the last game of the year at least give yall some momentum for the playoffs.  But nope I had to sit this one out.  What made it so bad was that I had to travel to the game.  I thought I could stay at my apartment and just chill out I mean why waste money on food, and travel if you got extra money to blow give me some more!! LOL.  But I was mad about that.  So we get to the city and its a beauty I might add, and we all went in groups walking around the city and found a nice place to eat lunch it was really fun.  That stopped at practice. I felt if I'm not playing, my knee already is acting up, what do I have to practice for? My good mood went straight to hell.  Then they started going over sets and Coach was like well you can take a seat.  So my mood switched once again from good to mad to sad in 15 minutes.  I felt like I wasn't apart of the team anymore.  This my team!! What the hell?? So yeah I was going through it while I was sitting down watching.  Crazy thing was Tay slipped on some water an twisted her ankle! I was like awww shoot Coach looks like your stuck with me and I started laughing but nobody else was laughing. I shook my head and sat back down.

Oh the game!! Okay so I'm in my warm up suit with my hair freshly done, make-up perfect, earrings dangling got my bling game on point! The other team was looking like what's going on?!?!? They whispering.  I sat down on the bench.  Couple minutes later Tay walks out and the other team went from looking like they had it in the bag to OH MY GOD look.  I was laughing. Game time and Coach goes "Um you cannot sit down here you can sit in te audience".  I'm like woooow.  I was already feeling like this is my game to play now you making me a spectator in the audience? That hurt my heart I can't lie.

To sum the game up:  Tay picked up 3 fouls in the first quater!! Honestly she is way too strong for this league.  They flopped (I would do the same thing if I was playing against her) and she got offensive fouls.  With her on the bench the other team did their damage.  It is no secret that we have no bench or solid rebounding outside of the Americans.  We dont have any other posts so it was a wrap.  On top of that our defense was PATHETIC.  The other team was hitting every shot they took!! I mean 90% of the time they was wide open I hope they would hit and they at home too?!?!? Cmon son.  All in all they blasted us for the worst loss of the year...21 POINTS!!! 

With that being said...was I really the problem?? I'm going to let you answer that for yourself

Game Capsule: Back On Track...Or Are We?

1-31-10 Optimum Ted Ankara Kolejliler vs Güre Belediye 94-68

Statline: 27pts 17rebs

Well, we had two weeks off to think about the terrible loss we suffered previously. Plus, we had a new player to replace me so my whole mindset was to finish out my last three games and go home. But it came game time and I was ready to go. It was our last home game of the season so it was important to leave our fans with something positive to remember us by. From the tip we were in complete control. They couldn't buy a bucket and with me controlling the rebounds our fast break was REDICULOUS. That's our game right there fast break buckets but the games we've lost was because they slowed us down. Honestly our half court game isn't that good. It's nothing complicated just pick and rolls but I mean seriously who can truly defend the pick an roll...with 5 people on defense you already know one person is paying no kind of attention to whats going on and the rotation and recovery is slow which equals a bucket or at least a good shot. Haha. But back to the game...I played extremely well in the first half i had 20 points and 10 rebounds. But the second half, lord help me, I had the case of *I Wanna Miss Open Lay-Up Syndrome*. I could have easliy had 40 once again but eh it happens to the best of us right. My misses didn't make much a difference because we was up by 30 and everybody else was hitting. Game Over victory Kolej. Time to get ready for my next game or maybe not...

"Sorry Tisha but you have been replaced"

Okay so now we sit with two losses.  Coach was talking about making changes, he released one player I thought he was done...but I had no idea that I was the drastic change he was talking about.  Indirectly they blamed me for our two losses.  But I'm going to give you the situation of our two losses...first game okay so in the 4th quarter I should have switched off to defend Jones and I didn't she continued to murder us...but on the flip side I only tood 2 SHOTS in the second half. Why did I stop getting the ball.  They got Jones the ball everytime down the floor, but the ball never swung my way but I ended the game wit 14pts 15rebs and 5ast but yet the loss is my fault right? Okay on to the next loss...I had 9 SHOTS the entire game with no double team!! On top of that, I had 7 OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS so how many shots did I get off the pass?? You do the math. Plus you can read my previous blog about how we actually lost the game but he never owned up to his mistake.  Blame the American right? Cool.

I get to practice on a Tuesday and they tell me "Tish we want to go in a different direction for the playoffs, we bringing somebody in she'll be here tomorrow".  You should have seen my face.  I couldn't do anything but laugh.  I'm not cocky but damn I average 21 and 15 and you telling me you want to go in a different direction?? Whatever send me home.  I do everything for this team and you want to tell me something crazy like that? But thats the business.  They told me that I could finish my games I was like you can send me home I am POSITIVE that another team would LOVE to have a player like me on their team.  They knew that too so they had me stay and be the alternate aka practice player.  Now I'm going to be honest with yall, I hate practice and I rarely practice good.  I am what you call a "gamer".  What's a gamer? A person that is an absolute monster in the game. 

How I'm feeling:  Basically I feel disrespected because how can I lead the league in scoring and second in rebounding and you telling me I'm not good enough for you.  Second, I feel that my relationship with this organization is OVER.  Once you stop believing in me there is nothing more I can do for you.  Its like breaking up with your boyfriend. Baby *sigh* its over...its me its not you (thats the nice way). Or you say Man forget you I'm leaving and I never want to see you or speak to you ever again in life (thats the non-cursing way but thats more of how I felt). LOL but seriously though.

The Introduction:
So she comes first thing I say is damn we could pass for sisters.  Same skin color, same hair color, around the same heighth, she bigger than me though.  But she looked familiar.  I'm like where you go to school...she said kU. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH yall im a MIZZOU alum! Soon as she said that I knew exactly who it was.  I played against her in the infamous MU kU brawl that happend at the end of our game.  She was one of the "instigators" as the newspapers so eliquently put it! LOL ahhh man I was at a loss for words.  I couldn't make this up if I wanted to.  So she gets to practice and she is straight killing my little, skrawny, narrow self.  I mean I'm NOT a Center nor do I pretend to be. I am not physical at all.  I am FINESS to the fullest.  She is a monster though SUPER talented. I told her and I told the coaches I am not going to fight with her or battle it out on the court. You obviously don't want me here and I feel this spot isn't worth fighting for she can have it.  So you have 2 capable players that are the complete opposites of each other so Kolej who you rolling with?  They said they going with her.  I was officially the alternate.  She signed the dotted line.

On the flip side:  Our personalities are so similar its crazy! After all these months of lonliness and isolation is over I FINALLY have a friend to go out and see the city, explore and get lost with!! This is great!  For the 1st time in 4 months I get to go to the mall, venture out and even meet other americans.  I finally have somebody thats like me, that knows exactly how crazy playing overseas can be, somebody I can relate to.  I never had that before.  My homie on the men's team was like "You sure yall not related?" lol. So even though I wasn't playing basketball at least I made a great friend.  Maybe this alternate thing aint so bad afterall...yeah right.  I will say this though, you put us on the same team its gon be something viscous.  It would have been crazy if I had a Turkish passport our team would have been untouchable in this league.

Game Capsule: Down 1 with 2 minutes to go...Burhaniye Belediye vs. Ted Ankara Kolejliler

1-16-10 Burhaniye Belediye vs. Ted Ankara Kolejliler 77-71
Statline: 17pts 12rebs (7 offensive)

I'm fresh off the plane for starters.  Normally I wait a few days to calm down but I need to get this off my chest because it was rediculous how it ended.  This game was a battle from beginning to end.  As a team we didnt shoot that well and we didn't defend to great.  Usually our defense triggers our fast break but we still give up the most points in the entire league but on the brighter note we are the highest scoring team in the league. A bad first half but we ended the first half 34-34.  Basically its zero to zero and we can start over and get the ball rolling.  The ball never rolled and the refs started swallowing their whistles.  You expect that when your on the road but the obvious calls like  people blatantly slapped on the wrists, shoved in the air, rediculously getting bodied at the basket have to be made.  It was getting OC (yes i'm going to have to slang it up because you probably aren't allowed to talk about things like this) but what can you do right? Through it all we still were in the game. 

We finally had the momentum with 2 minutes left in the game and we were down by 1 point.  Let me take you through the posession:
We run a play all the way through and got a good shot but it was  missed.  I got the offensive rebound and went up and I missed.  Was I fouled? Not that much contact like I was getting all game so I should have made it but I didn't.  I'm running back and the ref calls a Tech on one of our players. Coach is livid! So guess what he gets? not 1 but 2 TECHS and gets throwed out.  But he had to go out in style by acting like he was going to steal on the referee.  I am screaming STOP IT STOP IT LOOK AT THE SCORE ITS ONE POINT SOMEBODY STOP HIM!!! I am in TEARS trying to get Betul to stop coach from getting another technical but instead they trying to calm me down because they probably didn't understand what I was talking about.  The other team gets 6 FREE THROWS AND THE BALL!! Now mind you it was a ONE POINT GAME! The girl makes 5 of 6 free throws but they missed the shot on their possession.  So we are down 6. We claw back we can pull it to 1 again but missed free throws and then people wanna do their own agenda when we was trying to get our shooter the ball and then we give up offensive rebounds and thats the game ladies and gentlemen.

Problems I see: Rebounding.  Okay I average alot of rebounds a game but I can't do it alone.  They sent 5 people to the offensive glass and we had 2 in the paint.  Everyone has to rebound not just the post player. Our backcourt is small but if your man is going in for the boards how about you come in the paint and fight too.  Offensively we are not running the right sets and people don't know their roles and try to do too much period. 

What happens now?:  I have no idea.  I thought it was back to the drawing board last week but I think we waisted 3 days of practice when we could have been preparing for this game but some days we dont even have enough players to play 5 on 5 so its like what can you do? Now some players are hurt who knows who is going to suit up for our next contest.  All I know is that I guess I have to try harder.  This game wasn't the best for me because I couldnt get on the block all my points came from fast breaks, penetration, or knocking down jumpshots.  Even though my jumper was ON i still only had 9 shot attempts so hey all I can do is run and rebound but its still hard to run 1. if you dont have the ball 2. if we arent gang rebounding.  Gang rebounding is important I can't do it alone.

How I'm feeling:  I am mad as hell because we had the momentum at the end of the game but it was lost because people want to lose their cool.  Players determine wins and losses I truly feel that this game was taken from us because people let their emotions get the best of them.  If you want to get T'd up don't do it when your team is in a position to win the game and if you do get T'd up get 1 not act a fool and get a 2nd and get throwed out of the game.  Not down the strech.  2 minutes! 2 minutes! If you want to act up do it early not with 2 minutes left.  You can say well yall didn't rebound, or yall didn't defend, or yall didn't score regardless of how bad we played we were in position to win with 2 minutes left.  He needed to take a breath and chill out and draw up a play while she was shooting the first technical.  There is no need for that outbusrt.  None.  That's all I'm saying.  Think about it.

This is my vent thank you for listening.

Game Capsule: EPIC FAIL!!: Optimum Ted Ankara Kolejliler vs Alanya Belediye

1-9-10 Optimum Ted Ankara Kolejliler vs Alanya Belediye 67-82

Statline: 14pts (5-11) 15rebs 5ast

Man.  I'm at a lost for words really I can only explain how I feel because honestly I don't know what happend in that game nor do I want to get into it.  I would have to see the film to see exactly what happend.  We didnt make shots and they did? That's the obvious answer. OR a better one, they best player got buckets and made plays down the strech and me I don't even know where I was.  I remember shooting 2 layups (i missed 1 and got fouled on the other), one three pointer (I was wide open I can knock that down though), and a turn around jumper that I missed.  The ball didn't swing my way everybody else was taking shots.  Maybe thats my fault because I don't demand the ball.  I'm the type of player that lets the game come to me I don't force too much I get everybody involved.  I shoot when I can and handle my rebounding responsibilities thats it.  Maybe I should be more selfish. That's not me but damn I just might have to.  Oh Whitney Jones was a beast period.  Strong and agressive in the paint she had a hell of a game I give her all props in the world she did what she was suppose to do...will her team to a win.  Must be a nice feeling.  I started off guarding her I didn't do that bad I forced her into jumpshots, they gave her a weak and 1 and I didn't foul her and my coach took me off her early as hell.  4th quarter I shoulda guarded her maybe it would have helped.  Shoulda coulda woulda...whatever didn't happen and our asses lost.

So what now??
Plan A: MISSION WAS AN EPIC FAIL. 
Plan B: We got to win it the hard way...PLAYOFFS. 
Plan C:  Pray that Alanya has a slip up and loses but I doubt it can't no other team touch them right now, they offense is clicking on all cylinders.

It's back to the drawing board for us.

How I'm Feeling:  Honestly, I feel like shit.  I feel like I did when I was 17 years old playing my final game at my high school and we lost the regional final game.  I didn't come here to lose.  Losing was not an option for me.  10 games with an undefeated record was the plan from the get go.  I truly believed in my heart that we was going to win that game.  I saw it...I felt it...I owned it...and for us to lose it just hurts. The Basketball Gods are against me. I asked them why...why not this one time?  I thought it was my time to shine...my time to carry the load...my time to lead...my time to finally win the big one.  The Basketball Gods have another plan for me.  The reality was that it wasn't ment to be.

Game Capsule: First Half Comes To A Close: Optimum Ted Ankara Kolejliler vs Antalya Koleji

12-19-09 Optimum Ted Ankara Kolejliler vs Antalya Koleji 91-64

Statline: 30points 19rebs (32mins 13-15FG)

Well I almost had my 30 point 20 rebound game that I have been dreaming about.  I can still see four rebounds that I could have grabbed but didn't.  Ahh man.  But this game here was a no contest from beginning to end.  He had control from beginning to end.  Set the tone as a fast up-tempo game and they couldnt keep up with that.  Before the game the coach was saying how they had very young post player like 16 and 17 years old.  I said to myself I'll be damned if I let a child own me on the basketball court.  They were long but they were kids it was a speed that they are not use to.  Its a process.  High school speed...division 1 college speed...2nd division pro speed...1st division speed your body just has to adjust and get use to the speed of the game and that can be tough for a young teen.  So basically this game I just ran ran ran.  I got lay up after lay up I didn't shoot no form of a jump shot.  Rebound after rebound.  That is one game that I can say I beasted.  Do I feel bad about it cuz I was older...hell no thats what they are paying me to do therefore I dont mind at all lol.  Beezy killed and had 11 ast to go with her 18 points and Pelin-Man had 17.  Fast breaking is so fun you dont have to worry about no kind of offense and running is our strength. We get to running our sets guaranteed somebody is going off the play lol at least I run the play wrong but chicks wanna do they own version of the play lol thats cool if we on the same page but if there is no eye contact with anyone involved thats just a bad possession lol most of the time i'm pushing whoever I can to get the offensive rebound lol.

First Half Recap:  Well we ended the half 5-0.  Obviously changes are going to be made with the other teams.  Remember in my first post of the season about Alanya would be the bomb ass team if they had an american?? welllll they got one...her name is Whitney Jones and played at Arkansas.  She younger than me and played against Mizzou a year after I left and she killed them.  She is tearing up the league right now and took my spot as top rebounder (she avg 15.7 i avg 15).  I feel Alanya is our biggest test if we win we have a great chance of winning the league and moving up to 1st division.  That is the most important thing.  Also if we win the league w don't have to play in the playoffs and I can go HOME EARLY.

My Mission:  If they thought I was cold the first half then they aint seen nothing yet.  I'm a monster.  The goal is in site and its in our grasp we have to take hold of it.  We are the best team in the league we can't let nobody come take our spot.

Quick History:  I can't front, I have never won anything in my life.  When its MY team and I have to carry the team on my shoulders and will us to a win it has never happend.  Goes all the way back to high school never got past regional finals...college never got past th first round of NCAA...never got out of the first round of the WNIT. Despite my effort I give my all but its never enough.  For once in my life I feel it in my bones that I can carry this team to an undefeated record all the way to the 1st division.  I know I can im 24 I've been through alot with basketball (one day I will do a post about my marriage to basketball an let me tell you it has been rocky) I'm ready to do this.  Be a winner.  Whatever I can do whatever they need me to do I'll do it.  I don't have shoulders like Dwight but they are strong and I can carry the load...I'm on a mission...