ST. GEORGE - Exhibition games serve a number of purposes for women's basketball teams.
For Dixie State forward Brandi Barrett, the benefits were two-fold.
On one hand, she learned what to expect at the collegiate level. Barrett also figured out how to manage the butterflies in her stomach.
Pushing the fear out of her mind is a big reason why she was named to the all-tournament team of the Skyhawk Shootout last weekend. Barrett shot 9-of-13 from the field, scored 23 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in two games.
"I think a lot of it has to do with my focus before the game," Barrett said. "I try to take the every day stuff and put it out of my mind. I have to consciously think about it because otherwise it's still there. You have to focus completely."
BRANDI BARRETT
Christopher Onstott/The Spectrum
The Rebels (1-1) host the Crystal Inn Thanksgiving Tournament this weekend. They'll take on William Penn College today at 5:30 p.m. and College of Saint Mary on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
One thing Barrett noticed shortly after taking the floor against Southern Utah four weeks ago was that she was weaker than the other post players. She admitted, initially, that it got the best of her.
However, the flow of the game overtook her nerves and she was quickly able to identify her strengths - positioning among them - and erase the trepidation.
"I realized I'm on this team for a reason," Barrett said. "I have abilities I can count on, so I can focus on those. It keeps the fear away and it helps me focus on my game and play stronger."
DSC coach Angie Kristensen agreed that it was more of a mental hurdle than anything else.
"I told her I thought she was thinking too much," Kristensen said. "We just broke it down and I said 'find a post move that's really good for you, use it, and help us out on the boards.' She just did a tremendous job last weekend."
Ironically, her best statistical game of the tournament was a 13-point, 10-rebound effort against Fort Lewis College, an otherwise dismal 83-56 defeat. The loss came a day after an encouraging 81-76 victory in the regular-season opener against Eastern New Mexico.
As is often the case with young teams, a significant step forward was followed by a rather large step back. Yet Barrett is optimistic that the Rebels will become more consistent.
"I feel like we're getting better every day. We're on the road to success," she said. "The things our coaches are teaching us are going to help us succeed a lot. We just need to put it all together, reach the potential (Kristensen) envisions for us."
