Allie Clifton: It's March Madness!!!
3/19/2010 1:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Good Morning Rocket Fans!!!
I can honestly say that I really do not know what is going on right now. Am I really writing a blog again for ANOTHER basketball game that I am playing here at TOLEDO? No way. Am I seriously taking the floor again at Savage Arena tonight, wearing my WHITE uniform once again? I thought "Senior Night" was three weeks ago. This is crazy to me. I have got to be dreaming, I have to be. For some reason though I have a feeling I need to wake up, because this is not a dream, not a dream at all. This is simply what you call "MARCH MADNESS" folks, "MARCH MADNESS."
Tonight at 7:00 p.m. my teammates, my coaching staff and I are taking the court, hosting Big East member Pittsburgh in the first round of the WNIT. I can honestly say that I never have felt this feeling before. To still be playing this late in March, it's an unbelievable feeling. It's 70 degrees outside, shouldn't I be laying out somewhere, like seriously? I can honestly tell you that the right foot of mine is screaming not too many nice words at me. I keep telling her to settle down and let me enjoy the ride. She has to understand that this is the time of the year that every college basketball player wants to experience. Fortunate for us Rockets, we are taking on the experience of being apart of "March Madness," and I couldn't be any happier.
Over the past several years, I have been very blessed to be a part of a program that has had its many ups and downs. I have been able to make new friends, create new memories, encounter new obstacles, go exciting new places, etc. But I do not think anything can beat being able to just have the opportunity to be playing in a time and place like what we are about to play in tonight. On behalf of my teammates, I would like to take this time to give a sincere "Thank you." Day in and day out our athletic department, and all of you come out to support our women's basketball program and we could not appreciate it anymore. Being able to host a first-round WNIT game, against a Big East school is pretty darn special. Our coaching staff has done everything in their power to prepare us for the experience, to prepare us for this new challenge AND to be able to perform once again in front of this community is "icing on the cake."
The Pittsburgh Panthers enter this contest standing tall, very tall at 16-14 overall and 5-11 in their league. Lady Rocket fans it's going to be a battle, I can tell you that. But more importantly, I can tell you that it's going to be a battle that each and everyone one of us, from coaching staff down to player, is pumped and ready to take on. It's survival of the fittest now, and we Lady Rrockets are ready to go to WAR!!!
Hope to see YOU at the game!!!
Allie Clifton is a senior forward on the Toledo women's basketball team and is majoring in adolescent & young adult education.
