The nice thing about playing Colgate is you know that short of the apocalypse, you’re going to win. You can field your “B” team for parts of the game and know you’re not putting your lead at risk. You can miss some easy shots and know you aren’t going to be paying for it later. It’s comforting, playing Colgate, because you see new players and new tactics being tried out in a quiet, borderline intimate setting where to an extent it’s just you and the players.

It’s about seeing senior Talicia Jackson becoming ever closer to breaking the 3 point record. She acts like it isn’t a big deal, nothing to get worked up about. You wouldn’t even know there’s history about to be made unless you read the media guide. You wouldn’t know that Liz Leer is the team leader in blocks, except for the fact she’s always at the right place at the right time. In the end it’s the little things which make the difference, the little things you like about this team.

It’s watching this team grow up- times flies by and you wouldn’t even notice. They’re a little tougher, a little faster, a little better all around. You wouldn’t know if you weren’t paying attention to the way they run after every ball, regardless of if it’s a defensive play or an offensive one. They like winning, they like scoring. They like the game. It shows in the way they play, no fuss, just quietly getting on with the business with a shadow of a smile on their face.

They weren’t at their best. Colgate shouldn’t have cut the lead down to 10 points a few minutes before the end. But AU did enough to regain the upper hand, and at the end of the day, that’s what matters. It’s all about getting the job done -but still enjoying yourself out there. They were ‘pretty’, as they always are, even if they weren’t at their most efficient. But they tried. They wanted to do better.

“They’re looking good,” someone commented as Jackson hit another 3 pointer. They are. It’s still early in the season, so there’s still room to grow. Jackson still has time to beat the record. Kirk still has time to get over the nagging injuries. Yencho still has time to grow as a player. The little things are still there. The love for the game is still, it hasn’t left despite all they’ve been through. It says something about them. It says a lot. But it’s just between you and them, like a quiet assurance between friends. It’s almost intimate.

AU next plays at home Saturday 24th January at 2pm.