The John Carroll women's basketball team earned a trip to the division three NCAA tournament after senior Shmoo Pryor nailed a game-winning three-pointer against Ohio Northern in the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament.
"I think I got so lightheaded from screaming, I almost passed out," said senior Chelbi Graham. "I think it was disbelief. We couldn't believe it."
It is most certainly true that they are going to the tournament. According to the players, their culture and camaraderie significantly contributed to their success thus far.
"I think our bond is a big reason we are successful," Graham said. "We are able to give constructive criticism and tell each other how we really feel."
Their sense of community, in part, developed far from the John Carroll campus. Co-captains Kahrin Spear and Graham went on immersion trips to Ecuador and South Africa, respectively.
"The biggest thing we experienced in Ecuador is community and how important that is and that is exactly what this has been here with [the JCU women's basketball team]," said Spear, a senior guard.
"In South Africa, they played netball. They didn’t know what basketball was," Graham said. "Just having women that have an outlet for a sport, it makes you a appreciate it more."
As they get ready to take on Middlebury on Friday, the Blue Streaks said they are not only excited they have made it to the tournament for the third time in school history, but also happy about how they got here, which is together.
"As a senior to know that this is what me and my co-captains and co-seniors have fostered as a culture — I couldn’t be more proud," Spear said.
JCU will play Middlebury will play on March 1 at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pa. Tip-off is 5 p.m.
