Saturday, March 16, 11 p.m. update
LA JOLLA, Calif. – The NNU women's basketball team's postgame locker room was understandably filled with tears, but it was also full of love.

All five seniors spoke about what the team, each other and the coaching staff had meant to them during their careers.

It ended with coach Steve Steele telling the team how much he loved them and how proud he was of them.

The season certainly didn't end the way the Nighthawks wanted it to, but a 29-3 record, a GNAC tournament title and an NCAA tournament victory are nothing to hang your head about.
By the time the group got to Steak Shack about an hour after the final whistle, everyone was in pretty good spirits. They were back to joking around, SnapChatting and doing whatever else you can imagine college kids doing at dinner.

It will be a very short night of sleep and a 4:15 a.m. departure to the airport to fly back to Boise (thanks, NCAA).

Other observations

• My main goal during the game was not to knock over Steve Steele's soda pop. During Friday night's game I knocked it over and it spilled all over the press table and one of my computers before I realized it.
• One benefit to having Avery Albrecht's mom ride back to the hotel with us was she shared a fun story about her daughter. When Avery was 6 she wrote a song that went, "Fly, fly, fly like a bird." It apparently was set to a Britney Spears tune. Albrecht must have talent because her guitar-lesson teacher told her she is the best basketball playing guitarist he knows.
• One of the hardest things after you lose is having to fulfill media obligations. At an NCAA tournament event, both teams have to provide a coach and two players for a press conference after the game. Needless to say, the Nighthawks weren't too eager to fulfill that obligation. In the end, though, Albrecht and Ellie Logan performed very well at a time of great emotion.
• I'd like to think that my urban driving skills that I showcased this week has shown my passengers a thing or two on how to approach big cities. Based on the high turnover rate of my passengers, though, I fear they were all just terrified.
• Alison Larson was able to sneak one final iced tea Saturday night. The unofficial count for amount of iced tea she drank this week measures in the gallons.

I hope you've enjoyed reading these as much as I've enjoyed writing them. It was truly a Behind the Scenes experience for me as the past two weeks are the first road trips I've been on in my 15 months as Sports Information Director at NNU. It's been a blast getting to know the kids, having fun and then sharing the info with you folks.

Saturday, March 16, 2 p.m. update
LA JOLLA, Calif. – The NNU women's basketball team spent a mellow day getting ready for the NCAA West Region semifinals Saturday.

When you are playing a team that you have faced six times in less than two years there isn't really a reason to overthink things or get too jacked up.

After a late breakfast, the team did a film session, then went to the arena for a shootaround, then to lunch at the Corner Bakery Café and then went back to the hotel to get ready for the game.

They also found time in the midst of all of that to hit the pool. There always seems to be pool time for college kids.

Now we are at the gym, 90 minutes away from a showdown with a regional final berth on the line.

Other observations

• Ellie Logan puts cream in her coffee cup before adding her coffee. She says it's because she then doesn't have to stir. Never heard of this theory and will test it out tomorrow.
• Alaska Anchorage joined us for breakfast Saturday at the hotel a week after not eating at the hotel before the GNAC championships. Maybe they are trying to change their luck.
• Erin Jenkins and McKenna Emerson made a New Year's Resolution to do 50 pushups a day. Jenkins has apparently "forgotten to do them recently." Emerson knocked out a week's worth last night in her hotel room so she can relax the rest of the weekend.
• Marina Valles was the first person to finish her food at the pregame meal, though it was only because of multiple delays in the delivering of other people's food.
• It only took coach Steve Steele three days to channel his SoCal roots. He's wearing a pullover at lunch despite it being 73 out.
• Torrey Pines Golf Course, which routinely hosts big-time PGA events, is across the street from campus. No one has offered any of us a free round, though.
• I'm thinking this would be a good gift for Jordan Pinson: Goat Yoga.

We'll be back tonight with another Behind the Scenes update. You can stream tonight's game at UCSDTritons.tv .

Friday, March 15, 10 p.m. update
LA JOLLA, Calif. – Listening to Steve Steele talk to his team at halftime the last two weeks has been endlessly fascinating to me.

It's pretty rare for non-coaches or players to even get locker room access, let alone during games.

So to truly see behind that scene has been fun. Despite the fact that the Nighthawks have been losing at halftime of all three games, Steele doesn't come in yelling.

He can yell. He isn't like volleyball coach Doug English who never seems to raise his voice on the sideline, but Steele calmly tells the women what he thinks they are doing well, what they can improve on and what adjustments they need to make.

He then spends time breaking things down on the whiteboard and then ends his talk with more encouragement.

You can truly see the love and respect this team has for each other.

Other observations

• The livestream announcers for Friday's game apparently were watching Humboldt State play Northwestern Nazarene.
• My sister texted me to ask why I wasn't cheering from my courtside seat. I was apparently visible on the livestream broadcast. I pointed out that there is no cheering on press row, and she said, "You should tell the livestream announcers. They apparently went to Humboldt State."
• Based on Marina Valles foul trouble, I don't think she should eat chocolate chip pancakes for her pregame meal ever again.
• Speaking of Doug English, he told me before we left that he dislikes playing at UC San Diego, though he has never lost in their gym. Here's hoping Steve Steele is 3-0 on the same floor after this weekend.
• Getting to UC San Diego's gym from our hotel has proven interesting at times. There appears to be three or four ways to get there and our phones tend to send us a different way each time.
• We were joined at the postgame dinner by Elpidia Allen's sister, Steve Steele's dad and stepmom and his uncle. It's fun to see folks come watch the games who don't normally get to see the team play.
• Warm state people continue to crack us hardened Northerners up. At dinner tonight we ate outside and the restaurant had heaters on. It was terrible. I was trying to write a story, but was sweating profusely. They even refused to turn them off when we asked! Jordan Pinson was eating with her parents or else she would have been the one person connected to NNU excited about the heaters. It was 67 degrees out, by the way.
• I had headphones in during dinner so I feel like I probably missed a lot of observations. It's very unfortunate, dear readers. I'll be better tomorrow. Until then, sweet dreams.

Friday, March 15, 2 p.m. update
LA JOLLA, Calif. – Breakfast is often called the most important meal of the day.

If you are a basketball player, the most important is certainly the pregame meal. Sometimes that is breakfast and sometimes it is a late lunch.

When the Nighthawks play in the afternoon, which often happens during tournament play they tend to eat a brunch type meal before their games. When they play at night, like at home, they play eat a late lunch.

There is no set restaurant the team goes too, though they try to avoid Mexican food, pizza and teriyaki (which gives coach Steve Steele migraines). IHOP is a mainstay because they are everywhere and offer lots of options, though assistant coach Kate Cryderman had stopped having the team go there earlier this season after they lost to Simon Fraser.

The bad juju must be gone, though, because we've eaten there on each of the two postseason trips.

Favorite pregame meals for the players

Danielle Jardine: Club sandwich from Jimmy John's. "I don't want to eat something heavy, so I like to eat a sandwich."

Avery Albrecht: Blueberries. "I usually get a big tub when we are at home. Today I got a side for my breakfast. They are the best food in the world." When her high school coach or grandparents come to games, they bring her a cup of blueberries.

Jordan Pinson: Jimmy John's sandwich. "Sometimes you feel bad for eating something, but not Jimmy John's. Today I had avocado toast. Avocado is healthy and it was on wheat bread."

Zoe Wessels: Omellette, bacon and veggies. "I had avocado toast today, with an egg and a fruit bowl. I mixed it up because I was full from breakfast."

Marina Valles: Pasta with white sauce, heavy cream, bacon and parmesan cheese. "Today I had chocolate chip pancakes. First time I've ever had those. I didn't want to have eggs because that was too much."

Raquel Jardine: Turkey club or any club sandwich. "I had biscuits and gravy today. I love that. I like exploring new stuff and hate going to IHOP every time."

Carly Parker: Chocolate chip pancakes. "That's what I had today. It feels like we always get breakfast." Based on her favorite food, it's not surprising that Carly is the lone player on the team who likes IHOP.

McKenna Walker: Eggs benedict. "I had fruit and avocado toast – when in Cali!" She also had coffee, of course.

Erin Jenkins: French toast. "I had French toast with strawberries, bananas, blueberries and whip cream on it today."

Maya Rodgers and Ellie Logan were unavailable for comment, though rumor has it that they like to mix things up.

Other observations

• On the way to the game, some Humboldt State and NNU players shared an elevator ride to the lobby. They apparently said hi to each other. Guessing it was still a tad awkward.
• We had the pregame meal at Richard Walker's Pancake House which was located near Drury Lane. Hopefully the next time we see the word Drury is when we play the No. 1 team in the Final Four or championship game.
• The team watched the second half of the Anchorage-Hawaii Pacific game Friday. The Seawolves won which left the Nighthawks with mixed feelings. If NNU wins today, they will play Anchorage for the third time in 20 days and seventh time in two years Saturday. At this point, it feels like the heyday of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry in the early aughts.
• If you ever need a pep talk, you should invite Jordan Pinson to come speak to your team. She's been after me anytime I get even slightly negative about traffic, food, the music in the car, whether the goat exists, etc.
• The facilities here at UC San Diego make it easy to see why the school is moving up to NCAA Division I next year. They have a massive soccer complex outside of the gym. Their baseball and softball fields are amazing, and while the gym is a bit of a weird setup the facilities connected to it are first class.
• There is a pretty good sized fan contingent here for the Nighthawks. Former men's basketball coach and athletic director Rich Sanders is even in the house.

It's almost game time, so I'll sign off for now. I'll be back with an update tonight.


Thursday, March 14, 9 p.m. update
LA JOLLA, Calif. – What's the best way to prepare for the first round of the national basketball tournament?

Well, practice of course. But also a trip to the beach, sitting poolside, eating ice cream and hamburgers, getting a hot dog on a stick and just generally enjoying some sunshine.

The NNU women's basketball team got some shooting and preparation for Humboldt State in on Thursday, but the Nighthawks also found time to enjoy their trip to Southern California.

A good reminder that while they are here to win, they should also get to enjoy the fruits of their season-long labors. Especially since if they win the region they earn a trip to: Columbus, Ohio! Not exactly San Diego.

Other observations

• While at the beach nearly everyone ordered ice cream. I think the winner for most daring goes to Alison Larson, who got a waffle cone with two scoops of birthday cake ice cream.
• A few of the ladies bought a football while at the beach, so they no longer have to play catch with oranges or water bottles.
• During the shootaround, it was all hands on deck to help rebound during the free shoot. I learned that this is dangerous business as my glasses were knocked off by an errant shot. McKenna Emerson also got drilled in the head by a ball off the rim. We might need helmets for shootaround tomorrow.
• We had dinner at Red Robin, which has those checkout machines on the table. Kate Cryderman went to pay which was no big deal until about three minutes later when she somehow had torn the cover off the machine and was attempting to feed the receipt paper back into it. This was the second time she's done this, apparently.
• When we first got to Mission Beach we saw two guys playing one-on-one football in the sand. They were pretty cut and they were wearing Arizona Cardinals gear. While we argued over whether they were pro players we decided that wearing team gear didn't mean anything. Awhile later, trainer Jaime May bet Zoe Wessels a coffee that Zoe wouldn't go ask. Zoe immediately went and asked. They said one of them played for the Cardinals and one for the Vikings.
• While driving back from the beach, our SUV was passing a forested area. Elpidia Allen suddenly shouted out, "Look Jordan, the goat!" Jordan immediately sat up and yelled, "What? Where?" Only to realize that once again there was no goat.
• If you've ever wondered if Idaho is a part of the Pacific Northwest, look no further than the footwear choices of some of the team when they visited the pool Thursday – socks with sandals. I thought only old hippies in Seattle and Portland rocked those?
• Lidiya Brownfield, Steve Steele, Maya Rodgers and myself are the only people on this trip who care about the sea turtles. None of us used straws at Red Robin.
• Rumor has it that if the team advances to the regional final, which means staying until Tuesday, that Steve Steele is going to rent the team surf boards to use Sunday at the beach. That's some pretty good incentive to win.
• Nothing makes you feel old like hanging out with a bunch of 18-22 year olds who have endless energy, plus having to get up at 7 a.m. every day and drive all over Southern California. Rough life, I know, but I've been dragging on these trips. Obviously, I need more Starbucks.

We'll be back tomorrow midday with a pregame update.


Thursday, March 14, 2 p.m. update
LA JOLLA, Calif. – Any time Northwest Nazarene sends a team to a national tournament an administrator must go with them.

This is to help support the team in any way possible, but also to work with the host school and the NCAA.

For the second year in a row, Associate Athletic Director Alison Larson is at the NCAA Division II national women's basketball tournament.

It's a familiar place for Larson, who played for four years at NNU going to nationals all four seasons.

"It's a great experience," she said of nationals. "You feel like you finally are among the best in the country. The best part is that it is the time you are working for your whole season. You really come together and have to rely on each other when the pressure is really high."

Larson played for legendary NNU coach Roger Schmidt for two seasons and Athletic Director Kelli Lindley for two seasons. She played from 1998-02 and was on the 1999-00 NAIA Division II Final Four team.

After graduating in 2002, she took a year off and then went to the University of Utah law school to get her law degree. She then spent nine years working for Idaho Court of Appeals before returning to her alma mater.

Larson had been involved with the athletic advisory council and when Lindley was promoted to athletic director, Larson reached out to see what Lindley's plans were for her old job.

"I prayed about it and thought it was a great opportunity, said Larson of her compliance job. "It combined some things I really like – athletics, NNU and compliance, which is a quasi-legal environment."

In the end, the biggest difference in traveling with the team to nationals these days is the talent is higher and the locale is much, much warmer. Sioux City, Iowa in March is not nearly as pleasant as San Diego.

Other observations

• If Ellie Logan and Kate Cryderman ask you to play spoons with them, don't. Their version of the game is having a person hold a spoon in their mouth and hit the other person on the top of the head. Whoever drops their spoon first loses. Poor Maysun Wellsandt got suckered into the game and then was routinely hit in the head by Ellie Logan, who was standing behind her.
• At brunch today, Zoe Wessels received her food long before the rest of her table. Being a very nice person, she let her food get cold so she wouldn't be rude by eating alone.
• Head coach Steve Steele is known as the slow driver of the group. Ever since we've gotten to his native California, however, Steele is in his element with lots of honking.
• If you see Cryderman walking around with her shirt over her nose, it's not because someone passed gas. Rather she just loves the smell of her Downey Unbreakables fabric softener beads. She swears by them and suggests getting the beads for your washing machine and the matching dryer sheets.
• Senior McKenna Walker is practicing in a t-shirt after forgetting her practice jersey at the hotel. It worked out, considering she hit a bunch of 3-pointers during practice.
• It's pretty easy to tell which teams are from the north and which teams are from California based on who is wearing hoodies in 65-degree weather, how pale their skin is and who has headed to the pool at every free moment.
• UC San Diego has a really nice facility. The gym probably holds less than Johnson Sports Center, but is newer and features a video board that rivals the Dallas Cowboys one. The Tritons are moving up to NCAA Division I next year and it's easy to see why. There are construction cranes everywhere on campus and their athletic facilities are amazing.
• UC San Diego also gave the coaching staff – and I've decided the admin staff – a gift bag with water, snacks and treats.

We're headed to the beach after practice, so we'll have another update this evening.


Wednesday, March 13, 10 p.m. update
SOMEWHERE IN CALIFORNIA – Behind the Scenes is back with a brand new edition. Welcome to the NCAA Division II National Tournament West Regional in San Diego.

We flew out in two groups, one on Alaskan and one on American. The Alaskan group went through Seattle and mostly smooth sailing, though it was rather bumpy coming out of Boise. The American group went through Phoenix and based on the videos we saw, their turbulence was a bit more hardcore. The barf bags almost came out.

We eventually met up in the airport and then drove about 50 minutes to coach Steve Steele's dad's house in the mountains north of San Diego.

To say their house is amazing is an understatement. I might skip the Marriott and just stay  here. I figure I can write my stories by watching the livestream. Seems legit.

The Nighthawks don't play until Friday afternoon, so we'll have a few updates tomorrow.

Other observations

• We rented three SUVs and a car, but hoped to fit 22 people in the SUVs. They only had seven-seaters available, though, so we had to get a car as well. Assistant Athletic Director Alison Larson was told she could pick any car she wanted, so she immediately hopped in a VW Beetle Convertible.
• First lesson of the trip learned: Don't drive 50 minutes at night on California freeways in a convertible in March. You could tell which ladies were in that car based on their new hairstyles. Manager Kaylana Quach said her eyes were watering.
• Freshman Jordan Pinson kept calling the Beetle a Buggie. None of us have ever heard this term, but perhaps it is a Texas thing? Kind of like how they call beanies toboggans. A Twitter poll however was running at 94% Slug Bug and just 6% Buggies.
• One of the most underrated parts of California is how fast everyone drives. And how no one camps in the left lane going 20 mph slower than the rest of traffic.
• I had the pleasure (?) of sitting next to Avery Albrecht on both flights. On our first flight she loudly asked me if I had heard about the plane crash that happened a few days ago. The guy next to me chuckled and said, "That's not something you normally talk about when you first sit down on a plane." Avery had done her homework, though, making sure that we were not on the same type of plane that crashed.
• Avery also taught me that Alaskan's seats have this cool feature where you can make it so your head doesn't roll from side to side while you sleep. Thanks, Avery.
• McKenna Emerson hates coffee. Ellie Logan and Cami Knishka convinced her to try their respective Starbucks drinks. It reminded me a bit of when I have to convince my 5-year-old to take cough medicine. Emerson had a bottle of water at the ready to wash away the taste of the coffee.
• The Jardine twins got into a fight over who got to borrow my headphones so they could watch movies on our second flight. Danielle won since she was sitting close to me. Raquel claimed that since she rides in my van that I should have chosen her.
• Last Avery note for this story – this is what happens when you sit next to me on the plane – she is too nice for her own good. An older lady was sitting next to her and spent the 15 minutes that we were sitting on the tarmac waiting to take off to show Avery a series of photos of dogs, weird dresses and other Facebook photos that you expect your crazy aunt to show you.
• On a final note, it's nice to be in a place where it's warm enough to wear shorts. Even at night.