After a being in Sioux City for a little bit over a week, the 2017-2018 Women’s Basketball season has come to a close. The Cougars season ended in the Tyson Center during semifinal game against the Dakota Wesleyan University Tigers.
The Tigers were seeded number seven in the NAIA Polls while the Cougars were seeded at the number four spot. This was an even matchup for the Cougars. In fact, this game was the real test for this team.
Up until this point of the tournament, the Cougars were just going through the motions. This was probably one of the toughest games in the Cougars’ season. The Tigers rose to the challenge and defeated the Cougars 81-66.
On a side note, the Tigers ended up winning their first NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship title in the program’s history beating the Concordia Bulldogs 82-59.
The Cougars finished their season with a 32-3 record. This has been another incredible season for these women. Everyone in the Saint Xavier community should be extremely proud of this team.
They worked hard this entire season and brought home another CCAC Title for the second year in a row. Someone who has been a part of this team since her freshman year is Tomei Ball.
Ball hails from Glen Ellyn, Illinois and played basketball at Glenbard South for four years. She is a senior studying in Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Ball has had an amazing breakout season. By far, Tomei has blossomed into a “spark plug” player for this team.
Her accomplishments include NAIA Scholar Athlete with a 4.0 GPA, NAIA Champion of Charter Award winner in 2017 and in 2018, SXU Student-Athlete Gold Medal winner, and so much more.
Tomei has had quite the career here at Saint Xavier University. When I sat down with Tomei, we talked about her fourth time being in Sioux City and she reflects on her career as a Cougar basketball player. See what the Spark Plug had to say!
When did you start playing basketball and why?
Since I could remember I’ve always been playing basketball. My parents had me involved in every possible sport.
Growing up, who was your role model?
Growing up me and my brother Cameron were very competitive. I looked up to him because he always pushed me to do better.
Did you always know you wanted to play basketball?
Out of all the sports I played I loved basketball the most and knew I would try and play it for as long as I could.
Why did you come to Saint Xavier University?
Saint Xavier University has allowed me to continue my career as a basketball player, while also having the major of Communication Sciences and Disorders putting me on my future path as a Speech Language Pathologist.
Do you have any superstitions or pregame rituals?
I am not necessarily superstitious, but prior to every game I like to get a good stretch in.
You have had an incredible basketball career, especially this season. Your break out moment for me was the game against Olivet Nazarene on their home court. Did that game motivate you throughout the rest of the season?
Everyday I am motivated to be a better student athlete than the day before, whether it is in the classroom or on the court. It was a game that gave me the opportunity to showcase my abilities in an important situation.
The game against Olivet gave me more opportunities down the stretch. This allowed me to show the impact that I can have on the outcome of each game moving forward.
What was the most memorable game you’ve played?
The conference championship game this year against Olivet was my most memorable game. We all showcased what we are capable of doing as a team.
We did not allow them to come close to outdoing us on either side of the court. I feel each player showed how much they wanted to win that game and it showed in the score.
Your team made it back to Sioux City, but fell short in the semifinals. How proud are you to be a part of this team after their hard work in Sioux City?
I am very proud of every team I have been a part of, but especially this years. We fought hard and went far in the tournament, just coming up shy in the end. I look forward to watching them play in the future.
This was your last season as a Cougar basketball player. What will you miss the most about this program?
Being part of a team that is working towards a common goal everyday is something very special and I will miss it the most.
What are your plans after you graduate?
I will be attending Midwestern University for graduate school, though I would love to say I am headed to the WNBA. Life goes on.
Summer Olympics or Winter Olympics?
Winter Olympics. I get to watch the best athletes in sports I’ve never had the opportunity to play.
Thanks for the great interview Tomei! You have had an amazing career as a Cougar. Congratulations to you and to the rest of the girls on the season. Find out who I sit down with next week on Athlete Profile!
Christine Manika
Sports Columnist