NAMPA, Idaho – The first shot of Erin Jenkins' college career didn't hit rim.

To say the Northwest Nazarene freshman was nervous before the team's scrimmage against College of Southern Idaho would be an understatement.

After about a minute of action, though, she calmed herself down and proved she belonged.

"I just adjusted by calming my nerves down and knowing that I belong here," she said. "Just understanding the fact that I will mess up in the game, but reassuring myself that I will do OK and get the next plays."

Jenkins was much calmer in her second preseason action, as the Nighthawks rolled past cross-county rival College of Idaho 86-61 in an exhibition.

She said she was still nervous early on, but it went away quicker this time.

"I had nerves before every game in high school no matter who we played," she said. "It's not a different feeling, but it is more anxiety toward the college level of the game. But I'm confident in myself and I think I will be able to play well when coach puts me in."

Getting to Know Each Other
"It was hectic, but fun. Being able to practice officially with everyone really puts perspective on how our season is going to go. We need to understand how we will work with each other."

School Update
"I have been told I have an easy schedule for a freshman for first semester. It's not bad for me, but it's definitely different than high school. It is more challenging. I am personally enjoying it because it is not a crazy overload of work."

JORDAN PINSON
The best part of Fall Break for Pinson was a tossup between surprising her family with a trip to El Paso, Texas, and getting to eat at her favorite Mexican joint – Chico's Tacos.

"I was really craving Mexican food," she said. "And I got to surprise my family and see my grandma."

At her first exhibition game against College of Idaho in Caldwell, it was her dad's turn to surprise her. He flew up for the game.

First Games
"It's so much different (than high school) because the girls are faster, stronger and smarter. I was nervous I wouldn't be able to compete with them. The first time (coach Steve Steele) put me in I was a little shaky. After running up and down the court a couple of times I felt better."

School Update
"I'm thinking about deciding on a major – either social work or pre-med. With pre-med I'm worried about how heavy the class load would be. I just want to help kids."

GABE MURPHY
Murphy is a big man. He stands 6-foot-9 and weighs 220 pounds. While he has played against other big players in high school and on the travel-ball circuit, he's never had one on his team.

"It's really helped me improve my game," he said of junior posts Olamilekan Adetunji and Felix White. "They are older and have been around the block more. I have been able to guard them a lot better than even when I first got here. It is small increments from practice to practice."

Getting Physical
"In my mind, I was thinking it wouldn't be that bad. About the same as high school. But the intensity difference between high school workouts and college workouts have been a stark difference. It takes a lot of mental focus to get used to everything. You are tired, but you still have to learn plays. You have to bring it every single day."

Fall Break
"It was really fun. I surprised my brother and ate a lot of home-cooked meals. It was good to kind of get recharged, especially going into this long stretch where we won't see our families at Thanksgiving and only for a bit at Christmas. That was much needed going into this stretch where it will be a grind and we will be traveling."

GEORGE REIDY
To redshirt or not to redshirt, that is the question.

Head coach Paul Rush meets with each player before the season begins to discuss what they think their contributions to the team will be.

With such a large roster – 18 players – and a big incoming freshmen class (six), it seems likely some of the players will have to redshirt.

The decisions will be made by the players after a pair of scrimmages the next two Saturdays. For Reidy, he is planning on not redshirting at this point.

"I'm preparing for the season as though I'm not going to redshirt," he said. "If there is any doubt in my mind that I'm not going to play then I might take plays off in practice. If I think I'm going to play, I will bring a higher energy to practice.

"I need to focus not on how I play or what the outcome of the scrimmages is – I just need to play basketball. That's why I came here. That's why the coaches brought me here. They know what I can do. It's just a matter of showing up and being myself."

A Thinking Man's Game
"I feel like the intensity and the effort of college practice is what I expected. The things I didn't expect were the complexity and thinking aspects of it. The effort and intensity can come with a good work ethic but even if you are going 100 miles per hour at a 110 percent, if you aren't thinking clearly you won't perform well. Being able to think intelligently while playing your hardest has been a challenge for me."

School Update
"It is a cliché, but it is definitely how well you can manage your time. Wake up. Eat. Class. Maybe a quick nap. Eat. Practice. And then homework and then try to get seven or eight hours of sleep."