Tearing your ACL is never an easy process to go through. It seems like this day and age more and more people are tearing it one way or another. I just had attended the Knicks vs. Heat game yesterday and poor Baron Davis tore his ACL, along with his teammate Shumpert and our last year’s MVP Derrick Rose. Some people may think oh well you can just rehab and everything will be just fine but there is a lot more that goes into it. In the past there have been multiple big time athletes who have torn their ACL. Take for instance Tom Brady and Tiger Woods. How do they occur some may ask? The most common mechanism of injury is non-contact and caused by cutting. You're running along, you plant to change direction, and your knee buckles. The next most common is a contact injury such as being clipped from behind in football and hockey. A skier can also tear an ACL when the ski catches awkwardly in the snow or the carving of the ski twists the leg. That was the case for Baron Davis last night as well as Tiger and Shumpert. Now remember how I said that it is tough to come back from a tear. Not only are you sore and have to push your body harder than you have ever before, but you also have to get your timing back, your confidence back, as well as your mental psyche. ACL surgery is extremely technical. A millimeter difference here or there can have a huge impact on the result. The procedure is something that needs to be performed by an experienced sports orthopedist -- someone who performs the surgery two or three times a week rather than two or three times a year, someone's who's familiar with the injury, its mechanism, and the demands when you return.T his used to be a devastating injury. When an ACL tears, it does not heal. Unlike most other ligaments, the ACL never has the opportunity to mend due to its position and role in the knee -- it's very much like a rubber band. That's why this is a forever kind of injury, you will always have to deal with it and fight through the pain, but are you willing to? How to prevent this awful injury is the “$64,000 question.” How long do you need to take away from the game usually? Six months is the benchmark. Some physicians say nine; some say a year. It definitely is not easy but it definitely is possible. I am safe to say as of now that I have never torn my ACL and never would I want to. I feel so much for all the athletes who have but I envy you all because you all are tougher than anyone I know of. I would never wish this injury upon anyone but then again I know that every true athlete can get through this terrible injury.

Sorry For The Wait

I am so sorry that I have been away for quite some time now. I was still trying to recuperate from the tough loss that ended out 2011-2012 season. We had made the WNIT (Women's National Invitational Tournament) after our loss to UNCW in the CAA tournament and we were all so happy to make any postseason play. Of course it was still hard on us that we did not make our goal of making the NCAA tournament. The tournament that every college athlete looks forward to making in their collegiate career. Last year when I was a freshman we did not make any postseason play and I did not really understand the system completely. Coming from high school we of course got to go to the playoffs like every other team did so its equivalent to the CAA tournament, but I did not know that you could play after in a tournament of other 64 teams if you lost and still compete for a championship. I did not really understand the concept of winning to be honest. I did not understand how each game mattered. I did not understand how each game affected the next game. I did not understand the quality of each win. I did not understand how important it was to bring it every single night you stepped out on that floor. I just did not understand. Now I am not saying that I didn't bring it every time or that I didn't care, I am just saying I didn't fully understand. I think that is why this season ending loss hurt so much worse. Yeah I am a year wiser than I was, I have gotten better in some areas, and I have a little more experience under my belt; but I think it is because we had so much talent around us that we did not even realize. I mean I know that we know how good we are, but I think at times we doubted ourselves individually. Of course we have the upmost confidence in each other, but us as individuals I think started to question what we could do and what we were capable of. As you know our senior class is amazing. We had a All-American, we have a player with most games played in Hofstra history, three individuals with 1,000+ points in their career, one of the best defenders in the country, and even one of the best shooters some say in the country and we just did not make it work. I think thats why it was so hard on all of us. We all have a bond that we shared that I know nobody can take from us or even get and I am so thankful for that. I now know with the seniors that I have older sisters who will be there for me no matter what and if I need anything they would do it. I know now that I am around some of the best players not only in our conference but in the country, and damn well know that I have the best teammates anyone could ever ask for and I would not trade them for anything in this world. They not only have taught me so much but they have been there for me through everything. You can only take that loss and learn from it and get better as a player, which we all will do. I know that this is not the end of the road for us and the only way to go is up from here. I promise you that next year we will show everyone who we are and what we can do and that Hofstra is not some mid-major that cannot compete with the best. But to all my teammates I want to thank you for a unforgettable year and for making not only a better player but a better person.

Get To Know....

So this is a little something that I thought would help all of you get to know us players a little more on a personal level. I asked my teammates 20 random questions as well as 5 either/or questions. I think you all will be surprised about how unique my teammates are with the answers they give you. I hope you enjoy!


Marie Malone #35
Senior


Marie Malone is definitely one of the greatest people to every wear a Hofstra uniform, as well as one of the greatest teammates that I have had the chance of playing with. Definitely a person that you can learn a lot of things from and someone we all love very much.

1. What is your full name?
     - Marie Lashawn Malone

2. Where were you born?
     - Portsmouth, Virginia

3. How tall are you?/ How old are you? 
     - 6'2/ 23

4. What position do you play?
     - Center

5. What is your favorite food?
     - Spaghetti

6. Who is your favorite athlete?
     - Candice Parker

7. What is your favorite kind of cereal?
      - Cinnamon Toast Crunch

8. What state/country would you like to visit?
      - Brazil

9. What is your favorite thing to do?
      - Spend time with family and friends

10. What is your least favorite thing to do?
      - Homework

11. What is your most embarrassing moment?
      - Falling down the stairs

12. What is your biggest fear?
       - Not achieving my goals

13. If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
       - Martin Luther King Jr.

14. Who is your favorite Disney movie/character?
       - Finding Nemo/Dori

15. What is the best give your ever given/received?
       - Received: scrapbook made for my teammates given: not sure

16. What three adjectives best describe you?
       - Passionate, optimistic, ambitious

17. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
       - My own business designing clothes for tall girls and having a family

18. What is your greatest memory growing up? 
       - My brother and sister being born

19. What do you plan to do after your leave Hofstra?
       - Starting a career in basketball overseas

20. Why did you choose Hofstra?
       - I knew that being on this team I would not have just teammates but sisters who I know will be a
         part of my life forever. No matter if I was really close with them or not.

Your the best and thank you for everything

Tournament Time

It is finally time. The CAA Conference Tournament is right around the corner for us. After our upsetting loss on Wednesday to Northeastern we finished overall as the 4th seed. That means we still have a first round bye and will play the winner of UNCW (University of North Carolina-Wilmington) and Georgia State. Unfortunately for Georgia State they are last in the CAA standings with a overall conference record of 2-16. Most likely we will play UNCW who we just beat last week, but than again it is March as you can never be too sure. What should one expect at this tournament? A LOT OF GIRLS. When you put 12 teams together, with at least 12 players on each roster you get a lot of female athleticism surrounding you. The CAA tournament will be held at the Showplace Arena in Upper Marlboro, Maryland where the tournament was held last year as well. It is a great place to play in and hopefully we will come out victorious and be holding the CAA tournament trophy on Saturday night. We have never won a CAA title at Hofstra and we would love to change that this year. We have been told all season that we have the talent to do it, we just all have to believe. Every person on our team is so valuable and I feel as though that is what seperates us from the others. We are all talented and I would go to battle with any of my teammates because I know for a fact that they are that good. I have never been around so much talent in all my years of playing which is now, 13. If we all believed in ourself as much as others believed in us, we as a team would be unstoppable and no team could beat us. These next few days of practice are quintessential to how we will perform down in Maryland. We have to come our with heart, confidence, and a fire that no one has ever seen before. If I could tell my team one thing, it would be that I will give all I have next week for you guys. I will not back down to any challenge that is thrown my way, and I will support you all as much as I can. I do not want to let any of you down, and I want to get that championship. We still have time to prove ourselves, and just when everyone else has turned on us, we know who are. We know how good we are, and how talented we are as players. We do not have anything to prove to anyone, but ourselves. It is about us and only us.

Last Road Test

This Wednesay will be the last CAA conference game of the season for the Pride, well that is before we head to Upper Marlboro, Maryland for conference tournament play. Senior night for our three great leaders was successful. We came out and played team basketball and secured the third spot in conference. That basically means that we will have to beat JMU to get to the championship in Maryland if things just happen to play out how everyone thinks they should. Northeastern is also trying to secure a spot in the rankings and this win against us would be huge for them. Yeah their record may not speak volumes, but the talent they have is deadly. You also have to give them credit because they were able to beat a team that we have not yet beaten this year and that is JMU. Now you notice that I said have not beat "YET." Our defense has stepped up these past couple games and in order to make a statement in the conference tournament we need to sestain that. We know we have a lot of basketball to play and we definitely are not satisfied as of right now. We have to be smart with our bodies and get our mind right for rest of this memorable season.

The Big Three

This sunday the Hofstra women's basketball team will be playing their final home game of the regular season as they take on the University of North Carolina-Wilmington Seahawks. Not only will it be senior night to three of Hofstra's greats, but it will also help the Pride in CAA rankings going into the CAA tournament. If we win than we will automatically be third and if not than we will have a tie-breaker for third between UNCW and Drexel. Now I could sit here and talk about all the coulda, woulda, shouldas, but that would not be any fun would it? The real reason behind this post is The Big Three. In my previous post I said that I never had a better group of leaders while playing basketball in my life and I meant every word. These three seniors have made me into the player that I am today and have helped me to become a better person. Never could I thank them enough for everything that they have done for me. I do not even know if its possible to describe what they each mean to me.

Candice Bellocchio- I do not even know where to begin. You have climbed every milestone that there is to climb in basketball without even winning a championship here at Hofstra. You are the best point guard that I have every gotten to play with and sorry to say but it will be tough to ever play with one like you again. You are such a great person and so down to earth and that is why everyone loves you and so I. You have taught me to step back and appreciate life and to turn negatives into positives. You have taught me to not take things too seriously and it is okay to make mistakes as long as I learn from them and fix them. So many kids and adults look up to you as a leader and so do I. The way you handle yourself on and off the court is something that no one can teach. For you it just comes natural. I will always remember walking around the mall with you on my visit and you answered every question with honesty and I knew that you were someone I could talk to about anything and you would listen. I do not know if you will ever understand how much you have meant to me and done for me in my two years here but you definitely have made me want to be a better person and I will never forget you. You will always be my point guard and hopefully you will always be my family because I would not want it any other way. I know that once you leave here you will always have a special place in Hofstra's heart as well as mine. Thank you Can for everything

Marie Malone- My 6'2 walking beauty and one of the greatest people that I have ever known. I always joke around that you talked to me as if I were from another world while I was on my visit but I never told you that you were so nice to me and that I was able to open up and feel more comfortable around everyone because of that. If it were not for you being so nice I do not know if I would have been able to give Hofstra a chance. We were not that close my freshman year but this year definitely changed that. You have been there for me on and off the court more than anyone has been. You have taught me to just relax and that everything is going to be ok. When were out on the floor you bring a sense of calmness for me and I feel like nothing else matters. You never bring me down and only want to make me better. You have taught me to not care what anyone else thinks about me and that it should not matter. You taught me to be myself and people should love me for me. You taught me to be there for others because you never know what anyone is going through. You definitely have my back whether its off the court or saving my ass when I get blown by on defense. That is one thing I will always appreciate is you having my back and knowing you will be there for me no matter what. There are not many people who will stick by you no matter what and you are so special for that. I hope that whatever you do down the road you excel at (which I know you will) and I hope many more people get the chance to meet you because hopefully they will get the chance to see what I see. There will always be that special place for you in my heart and never will it be taken.

Nicole Capurso- Where to even begin. You were my host on my visit when I came all the way from Idaho. I will never forget how nervous I was coming out to a big city from a town of 20,000 AT LEAST. The first time I met you I felt like I had known you for years. You have this confidence that everyone wishes they could have. As well as myself. You know how to handle every situation, you know basically every answer to every question, and if you don't than you will find a way to know it. That is why I look up to you so much. Not only do we play the same position and love to shoot the basketball but you have given me confidence in myself that I could not find while growing up. You are not afraid to take the last second shot because you know that its going in and if it doesn't than oh well! If it were not for you being there telling me to shoot the basketball when I see any type of space (which is not very much lol) I would not have been able to make an impact that I have been able to make thus far. You became my big sister from the beginning and I could not ask for a better role model. I do wish that I could have spent more time with you these past two years but the time that I did get to spend with you I will cherish for the rest of my life. I don't know if you will ever understand how much I appreciate the confidence you have given me not only with basketball, but just in everyday life. You have taught me to hold my head high and know that I can handle any situation that anyone brings my way. You have taught me not to doubt myself if I am not sure and if I am wrong that oh well at least I tried. Like I said before I could not ask for a better big sister and thank you so much for instilling the confidence in myself that I was not able to find before and probably never would have if I never was able to meet you.

With that being said, this win on Sunday will be for you.

I love you seniors

Its About How You Finish

This week is the final stretch for the Pride. We take on University of North Carolina-Wilminton this Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Mack Sports Complex, and may I add that it will be senior night for our 3 great seniors. I can assure you that I have never had a better group of leaders in all my years of basketball. Sundays game will definitely be a tough pill to swallow. Then next Thursday we will wrap up our conference games at Northeastern. So the Pride will be Boston bound. Last year Northeastern had a tough year and we were able to beat them both times. This year we played them already and won, but let me tell you they have been on a roll lately so we have to go in there and take care of business. We are currently third in conference and still behind Delaware and James Madison. We have to finish strong because we want to be seeded top four for the conference tournament so we have a bye our first game to give us some much needed rest. I feel like our opponents are sleeping on us now since we have had a rough stretch recently, but I do promise you that you will see a different team this week. Its back to the drawing board for us now. Its about us and only us.

Roll Pride.