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The Columbus Lady Cards picked up their first district win of the year over Tidehaven, 5545, on Tuesday, Dec. 17, in Columbus.
This was the first loss for Tidehaven which added to significance of the Lady Cards win on Tuesday night.
Looking at this matchup on paper, not many people picked the Lady Cards to win this game because of how red-hot Tidehaven has been up to this point. But here we are talking about the Lady Cards beat Tidehaven.
Granted they had home court advantage and that played a role in the victory, sure, but there is something different about the Lady Cards this year that is going a little unnoticed.
They have been having to hear all the doubters all season long, all-be-it for a pretty good reason. This team lost two leaders and major producers to graduation in Sage Thomas and Karlee Mathis.
Thomas was more of a lead by example type while Mathis was not scared to speak up and speak out. Losing those two is a little bit of a question mark around the team because now they have to find a new identity and find a way to win games without those two.
That is where the biggest difference with this team is noticeable, because the team has been leaning on each other heavily this season.
So Mathis is gone, and she was that floor general, the voice in the locker room and flat out the leader of that team. But this season, it’s almost as if they are all stepping up and helping each other fill the big shoes Mathis left.
Look at Anaya Gardner for example, easily one of the most dynamic and athletic guards in all of Texas. She was invited to NBA All-Star, Chris Paul’s, camp this summer so it’s safe to say that she knows her stuff on the court.
But, even she will admit that she does not know everything and leans on her teammates to try to learn something new but she, along with her other teammates aren’t scared to speak up and hold each other accountable. No one is the clear defined leader on this team and sometimes that causes chaos, but the Lady Cards know that it’s going to take everyone if they are going to have any sort of success this season.
Last season their was only one person leading with her voice and making sure the standards were met, but this season, the entire roster is doing it. With head coach Mike Albers steering the ship, the Lady Cards are primed to make some noise.
