#FalconsInCuba: Day Two

For the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team and travel party, day two in Cuba was just as eventful as day one. Thursday (Aug. 11) saw the Falcons tour a fort just across from Old Havana, and the members of the traveling party also visited La Triada, a cigar store located at the fort.

CUBA DAY TWO GALLERY

Thursday afternoon saw the BGSU coaching staff conduct a clinic for the UCCFD (University of Science, Physical Culture and Sport) team. Jennifer Roos and her assistants put the players – for the most part ranging in age from 17 to 25 – through drills similar to those the Falcons run in practice, and the coaches jumped into the drills themselves.

Following the clinic, BGSU played the first of three games on the trip, taking on the Cuban National Team. Playing outdoors in a unique venue, the Falcons fell by a 53-46 score.

Junior Rachel Myers led the Falcons with 10 points, while classmate Haley Puk and sophomore Carly Santoro scored seven points apiece. Freshman Clare Glowniak added six points in the narrow loss.

Senior Abby Siefker had four points and led all players with 15 rebounds, including four offensive boards. Siefker was one of three Falcons to pick up two steals in the game, joining Puk and Glowniak.

Roos and her staff saw all 12 players on the active roster play quality minutes. Ten of the 12 players scored at least two points on Thursday afternoon.

The teams got off to a slow start offensively. Siefker's layup tied the score at 2-2 with nearly three minutes gone, and after freshman Rion Thompson split a pair of free throws several minutes later, Glowniak found sophomore Maddie Cole for a layup and a 5-2 lead. The Cuban team sandwiched a pair of baskets around a right-side jumper by freshman Jane Uecker, and the Falcons led, 7-6, after one quarter.

The hosts scored the first four points of the second period, but BG went on a 5-0 run, with Glowniak and sophomore Carly Santoro hitting layups during that stretch. The Cuban team scored four-straight points, but Puk hit a jumper, and a Myers three-pointer – one of three triples for the junior on the day – gave the Falcons an 18-16 lead. The home team got an and-one layup with eight seconds left in the half, hitting the ensuing free throw to take a 19-18 lead at the intermission.

Coach Roos took advantage of the halftime break to have her team walk through several plays on the court, and BG scored on the first two possessions of the third quarter. Glowniak took a Uecker pass and hit a spinning layup, and Thompson knocked down a floater in the lane. Another Glowniak bucket several moments later gave the Falcons a 24-23 lead, but the home team then scored the next five points. And, after a Santoro layup, the Cubans scored the next eight points to open up a 36-26 lead.

Freshman Andrea Cecil knocked down a three-point try, but the hosts scored the next four points before Santoro connected from long range as the third-quarter buzzer sounded. The Falcons trailed, 40-32, after 30 minutes.

The fourth quarter saw Puk draw a foul on a drive and knock down two charity tosses, and the junior then hit a foul-line jumper. The Cuban team was answering Puk's scores, however, and a layup gave the hosts a 44-36 advantage.

Moments later, though, Myers hit a three-pointer, and the junior then drew a foul and hit a free throw. The hosts hit a layup, but Myers drained a three-pointer on the break, and sophomore Sydney Lambert was fouled and hit a pair of free throws with 1:22 remaining, bringing BG within three points at 48-45. But, the Cubans knocked down a layup for a five-point advantage, and after Siefker hit a free throw with 33 seconds to go, the Falcons forced a turnover, but could not take advantage. The game's final points came on a layup at the buzzer.

Four US marines stationed in Cuba attended the game on Thursday afternoon.

The Falcons are scheduled to play against the UCCFD team – a team which will include several players who also compete for the Cuban National Team – on Friday (Aug. 12), before playing another game against the Cuban National Team on Sunday (Aug. 14).

Myers, Glowniak and Roos each took time to talk about Thursday's game and their experiences on the trip so far.

Junior Rachel Myers
"My Cuba experience has been fun so far. We've done a lot. We went to a cigar store today and have toured parts of the capital. It's been fun, and we're getting to know each other better and learning new things each day.

"The arena is very cool. Its name means butterfly, and it's actually outside with a roof over top. The game was a lot different – there were some rules we weren't expecting, that were different from our rules in the United States, but I think we got the hang of it. It was very cool that both teams speak different languages, but we kind of have the same language through basketball, and we could relate with them that way."

Freshman Clare Glowniak
"It was very interesting to tour a cigar store that was inside a fort today. We saw some very nice scenery and walked past an arts and crafts store, so we got to interact with the people of Havana a lot more. And, we also got to play our first game today, which was a lot of fun.

"Our game today was definitely very different than what we're used to. Obviously, we were playing outside, so factors like the wind and the sun contributed to the game atmosphere. Also, there were different FIBA rules that we are not used to in the US. But, it was a lot of fun. We adapted well to everything and played our hearts out. It was great to get to play with my new teammates, and we all meshed together very well. It was a lot of fun."

Head Coach Jennifer Roos
"I think we faced nearly everything today. We had some wind, we had sun in our eyes at times, and it was about 95 degrees from start to finish. There were a lot of factors that we are not used to playing in. But, everyone got to play, everyone did well, it was a learning opportunity with this new team, and we're looking forward to competing again and applying what we learned today in our upcoming games.

"Our goals don't change at any time of the year. You want improved conditioning, you want to get better on the court, but more importantly, you want to bond as a team on and off the court. This trip is going to allow us to have all three of those factors rolled into one. Additionally, it is an unbelievable cultural experience for the team and the entire travel party. But, we are where we need to be right now. The Cuban National Team has been practicing a lot longer than we have, and they have thrown in some defensive looks and additional things offensively that we will be able to adapt to and apply in our upcoming games.

"I think if you asked our team, they would all agree that Cuba is what we expected. You can read about it, talk about it or watch videos about it, but until you're fully immersed in this culture, you really don't know what it's like. It's been an eye-opener, seeing different socio-economic levels, learning about the history and walking around the city. It's been quite an experience for everyone on this trip, and I think we'll come out of this trip not only as better basketball players, but as better people with a sense of service and the ability to give back to others."

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Andrea Cecil

Maddie Cole

Clare Glowniak

Sydney Lambert

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Haley Puk

Carly Santoro

Abby Siefker

Caterrion Thompson

Jane Uecker

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