Jan. 21, 2004

Editor's Note: This is the first installment of J.J.'s Journal, a weekly diary by Baylor senior guard Jessika Stratton. Please check back each week for Jessika's take on the latest in Lady Bear basketball.

So, on paper our week was huge. Matchups against the No. 1 and 3 teams in the country presented a big challenge for us. But why not? Most of us dream to play collegiate basketball in front of sold out crowds, rowdy fans and against the top teams in the nation hoping for that upset. This week we had that chance, and boy did we ever take advantage of it.

Preparation was the biggest key in our victory over Texas. Our minds were focused on the task at hand and there was no doubt that we were going to give the Lady Longhorns our best. Practice was intense and our wonderful Dream Team fellas did a tremendous job of portraying Jamie Carey, Stacy Stephens, Heather Schrieber and the rest of the Longhorn girls. We had the knowledge and the tools for victory, it was just time to play.

Hopefully, the game was just as exciting to watch as it was to play. These are the type of games you live for, it almost felt like everything was in hyper motion, things moved so quickly. There was one point I looked up at the scoreboard and it hit me that we were beating Texas by almost twenty points because it felt as though it was nip and tuck the entire time. Most of us came out with some type of battle wound, mostly bruises which marked the hustle. No loose ball got away from us, we fought for every rebound and never quit, not for one second. Let me tell you, it was something else.

It is kind of funny how it all works out...one minute you are on top of the world and the next you have to bring yourself down to earth and refocus that same energy and intensity on yet another Top 5 team.

Traveling to Texas Tech sure makes me love our fans and our court! Tech is one of the hardest places to play, the fans are boisterous and the place is packed. Even through a blizzard on Saturday morning these fans are faithful followers. (That's right I said blizzard. Now being from Colorado I wouldn't exactly call this the storm of the century, but I was shocked because I thought I would never see snow in Texas. And it did snow, hard and big flakes too. But it is no Colorado snow! There is nothing like it! But then again, I am biased! Just so you know, it was Melanie's (Hamerly) fifth time to see snow and Monique's (Jones) second, Penn State being her first encounter. But this was the first that they both saw it streaming down from the sky!) Anyway, we had another giant opportunity to prove how good we are hit us square in the face. And to tell you the truth, we tackled it. How about that for a week's work?

We left it all in Lubbock. It's time to move on...we have more games to play...more statements to make...more hurdles to conquer...

That's all for this week...tune in next time!

Jessika Stratton