Column: Take it, do something with it
The Eastern women’s basketball team had a program-defining win Sunday, beating Missouri at Lantz Arena.
Beating a Big 12 team is a big deal; there is not any denying that. But now there could be some pressure to go along with the win.
It is only two games into the season, but beating a Big 12 team is going to attract some eyes. People are going to start looking at Eastern and say: “Oh, this team can beat anyone.”
Well, now the team has to prove it. After the game, head coach Brady Sallee said the win will be as big as the team can make it, based on what the team chooses to do with it.
There are two options to do with the win. One-the team could take the upset as an upset and return to being a leader of the Ohio Valley Conference.
Two-the team could take the win and start to believe they can beat teams of that caliber.
By picking the second option, the team will be taking a big step out of the OVC and into the national landscape of college basketball.
The idea, as Sallee has said, is not just to win OVC championships. The goal is to become more than that.
With that as the goal, it is no wonder Sallee called the win against Missouri the biggest he has had in his time as Eastern’s head coach.
When they won, I can tell you, I thought, “Woah, this team has potential to be a very, very good team.”
You cannot look over a win against Missouri. Seeing that on a schedule makes you stop and stare.
There are a lot of new faces on Eastern’s squad this season – and no seniors – but Eastern showed that talent outweighs veterans.
And there is a lot of talent in the freshman class and on the team as a whole.
So what will the team do with a win like this? That’s up to them.
If I know this team and Sallee as well as I do, I think this team will take it and run with it. There is a lot of momentum right now for Eastern, which can only be good.
This win should build confidence in the team.
Remember, this team is going to be together for two years. Sallee said at the beginning of the season, the coaching staff is excited about doing great things with this group of women.
Two games into the two-year process, Eastern picks up a win against Missouri.
I do not know about your opinion, but I am pretty sure you cannot have a better catapult than that.
Alex McNamee can be reached at 581-7944
