Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
COLUMN: On grace, and the sun, rising
3/19/2023 6:37:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Lady Raiders’ season ended, but their poise and grace has not
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — For the second straight year, I can report that the sun rises the day after the final game for Middle Tennessee basketball.
This year's sun was brightest on the flight back to Tennessee, shining on the charter plane the NCAA set up for the Lady Raiders as they returned home from Durham, N.C. following their loss to Colorado in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. Flying over an overcast Tennessee sky, the sun beamed on top of the white clouds, creating a nice view for those of us who were able to stay awake during the flight, which were few and far between.
If you read my Sunday column, there's a good chance you watched Saturday night's game against the Buffaloes. There's no need for us to dwell on the result, MTSU ran into a team that played probably their best game of the season at exactly the right time. Colorado made more three-pointers against MTSU than they had in any game this season. The Lady Raiders' four made threes, meanwhile, tied for the second fewest the team had made in a game this season.
There's plenty of other stats one could point to, but the bottom line was Colorado made shots, MTSU didn't. A credit to the Buffs for their play and something to chew on for the Lady Raiders over the long offseason.
But the Xs and Os of the loss were not the images that stuck with me from last night in Cameron Indoor Stadium. It was the grace of Savannah Wheeler and Anastasiia Boldyreva on the press conference podium, facing a plethora of faces they'd never seen before just minutes after suffering a tough loss. And calmly answering questions candidly and informatively.
"They were aggressive with the post players up top setting screens," Wheeler said of the Colorado defense. "All we had to do is try to match their physicality. Credit to them. You know, they did a great job of defending (us)."
"The worst thing we did, was we didn't box out, specifically, me," Boldyreva said of the rebounding game "That is why they out-rebounded us."
Their answers were helpful, I'm sure, to the various wires and national outlets covering the Duke Tournament site. It was certainly clarifying for me on the game. But what stuck with me most was the self-reflection of the pair, both of whom will be back as Lady Raiders next season.
"I thought we had a heck of a year," Wheeler said. "I'm really proud of this group, proud that I came here, and just ready to get back to work for next season."
The 6-foot-6 center knew what her focus was going to be in the summer during that work.
"For me, the most important thing is to get more physical," Boldyreva said. "To get tougher in the post, and especially on the defensive end, especially on rebounds."
I'm pretty spoiled as an in-house writer here at MTSU, rarely having to find angles after losses, particularly on the hardwood and particularly with the Lady Raiders. With only being in-person for home games and postseason play, Saturday night was just the third time I had to ask questions of players and Rick Insell after a loss in just over 30 games I've covered in person. That's a remarkable run over the past two seasons, undefeated during the regular season at home both times, with all three losses coming in postseason play.
To me, that makes the poise that Wheeler and Boldyreva showed just moments after stepping off the court for the final time as the 2022-23 Lady Raiders all the more impressive. It's something that can be taken for granted if it's not acknowledged, if it's not cultivated at the roots, as I see I got a chance to see up close with this team over the past two weeks in Frisco and Durham.
This is a team that cares for one another, that celebrates success and picks each other up. Y'all already know they're an easy bunch to root for. MTSU wouldn't have sold out of their initial ticket allotment if that wasn't the case.
And just as the sun will always rise in the east, even after losses, the grace Savannah Wheeler and Anastasiia Boldyreva showed on Saturday will rise to the top every single time.
This year's sun was brightest on the flight back to Tennessee, shining on the charter plane the NCAA set up for the Lady Raiders as they returned home from Durham, N.C. following their loss to Colorado in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. Flying over an overcast Tennessee sky, the sun beamed on top of the white clouds, creating a nice view for those of us who were able to stay awake during the flight, which were few and far between.
If you read my Sunday column, there's a good chance you watched Saturday night's game against the Buffaloes. There's no need for us to dwell on the result, MTSU ran into a team that played probably their best game of the season at exactly the right time. Colorado made more three-pointers against MTSU than they had in any game this season. The Lady Raiders' four made threes, meanwhile, tied for the second fewest the team had made in a game this season.
There's plenty of other stats one could point to, but the bottom line was Colorado made shots, MTSU didn't. A credit to the Buffs for their play and something to chew on for the Lady Raiders over the long offseason.
But the Xs and Os of the loss were not the images that stuck with me from last night in Cameron Indoor Stadium. It was the grace of Savannah Wheeler and Anastasiia Boldyreva on the press conference podium, facing a plethora of faces they'd never seen before just minutes after suffering a tough loss. And calmly answering questions candidly and informatively.
"They were aggressive with the post players up top setting screens," Wheeler said of the Colorado defense. "All we had to do is try to match their physicality. Credit to them. You know, they did a great job of defending (us)."
"The worst thing we did, was we didn't box out, specifically, me," Boldyreva said of the rebounding game "That is why they out-rebounded us."
Their answers were helpful, I'm sure, to the various wires and national outlets covering the Duke Tournament site. It was certainly clarifying for me on the game. But what stuck with me most was the self-reflection of the pair, both of whom will be back as Lady Raiders next season.
"I thought we had a heck of a year," Wheeler said. "I'm really proud of this group, proud that I came here, and just ready to get back to work for next season."
The 6-foot-6 center knew what her focus was going to be in the summer during that work.
"For me, the most important thing is to get more physical," Boldyreva said. "To get tougher in the post, and especially on the defensive end, especially on rebounds."
I'm pretty spoiled as an in-house writer here at MTSU, rarely having to find angles after losses, particularly on the hardwood and particularly with the Lady Raiders. With only being in-person for home games and postseason play, Saturday night was just the third time I had to ask questions of players and Rick Insell after a loss in just over 30 games I've covered in person. That's a remarkable run over the past two seasons, undefeated during the regular season at home both times, with all three losses coming in postseason play.
To me, that makes the poise that Wheeler and Boldyreva showed just moments after stepping off the court for the final time as the 2022-23 Lady Raiders all the more impressive. It's something that can be taken for granted if it's not acknowledged, if it's not cultivated at the roots, as I see I got a chance to see up close with this team over the past two weeks in Frisco and Durham.
This is a team that cares for one another, that celebrates success and picks each other up. Y'all already know they're an easy bunch to root for. MTSU wouldn't have sold out of their initial ticket allotment if that wasn't the case.
And just as the sun will always rise in the east, even after losses, the grace Savannah Wheeler and Anastasiia Boldyreva showed on Saturday will rise to the top every single time.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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