The Sinclair basketball team departed on a 9-hour road trip to face the University of North Carolina’s JV team on Dec. 8.
Head coach Jeff Price said the trip was focused on giving the players an opportunity to play on a big stage. Also, it gives the players a realistic view of how close they are to playing for a NCAA Division 1 school.
“That’s what we tell them [the players] all the time,” Price said. “And you never know who is watching. We have Division 1 coaches at our games all the time.”
Once the team arrived in Carolina, the bus stopped unexpectedly at Duke University’s Cameron Indoor Stadium, another basketball mecca. Price said they didn’t know they would get the chance to practice there until the day they arrived.
“The guys didn’t know we were going to Cameron Indoor until we pulled up,” Price said.
The players level of excitement elevated tremendously once the team found out they got the chance to practice at Duke’s famed arena, according to Price. Duke’s men’s team won the National Championship last year.
After the practice at Cameron indoor, the players were even more excited to get a chance to play against the Tar Heel blue, according to Price.
“I think it’s going to be a good experience,”JaBriel Coaston said prior to the game via Facebook. “I’m excited for all my teammates to get this experience and with this group we have, I know it’s going to be very fun. I look forward to playing at the arena, a lot of legends played here and it’s an honor.”
“This trip is going to be a great opportunity for our team to come together and see how well we can play,” Anthony Metzler said prior to the game via Facebook. “We play a good team but I think we are ready for any adversity thrown at us.”
The University of North Carolina is home to some of the greatest college basketball players to ever step on the hardwood including his airness Michael Jordan. Not to mention all the great coaches that have graced the benches in the Dean E. Smith Center including the famous Dean Smith and current coach Roy Williams who both have won multiple National Champions during their coaching tenures.
The game was a close contest, but went in Sinclair’s favor with the Tartan Pride winning 87 – 85. Gavin Schumann led all scorers with 26 points on 11 of 19 shooting while going 3 of 3 from the arc. Sinclair’s back court carried the bulk of the workload with 50 points being scored between Schumann and Charlie Byers.
“We planned this game a year in advance,” Price said. “ It takes a lot of effort on our part to pull a trip like this off, with fundraising and scheduling.”
After the win, Price felt his team had grown tremendously.
“You could tell how hard they had to play to beat them,’” Price said. “And it was something that they did together. The eight guys did it together. And it was amazing just seeing the pride that they had just walking around the arena after they won.”
Price also said it was well worth all the time that he put into the trip.
“To play on those two courts, in a 24-hour timespan, very few people can say that,” Price said.
