By MIKE BROWN Sports Writer on Oct 27, 2011, at 12:39 PM Updated on 10/27 at 12:48 PM
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Kevi Luper must love basketball more than she loves life itself.
ORU’s Pan American games representative woke up at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, spent two hours going through security in the Guadalajara airport and traveled all day to attend a 7 p.m. practice with her ORU teammates.
The Golden Eagles worked out in the Mabee Center practice gym Wednesday evening, even as the men’s team was going through its Navy-White scrimmage on the main floor.
“I texted (head coach Jerry Finkbeiner) and he was like, well (practice) was like at 3:30, but possibly 7 if you could make it, and I was like, well, we have a game Thursday night, so I probably need to go over some plays and what (the team) covered when I was gone. So he moved (practice) for me and nobody else cared,” she said.
The women open their exhibition season hosting Evangel (Mo.) at 7:05 p.m. Thursday.
Luper’s first American meal after arriving in Tulsa on Wednesday afternoon?
“Pizza. That’s what I requested. It’s not even American, it’s Italian (food), but it tasted more American than what I had been eating the last few days,” she said.
Luper averaged eight points per game in the tournament, helping the American team to a 2-2 finish. She was one of two players held out of an opening 58-55 loss to Argentina, but played in the next three games.
“Obviously, I did not like – at all – sitting out the first game, but I feel like coach (Ceal Berry) didn’t know her personnel very well, which is understandable. We only had five days together. Usually, the Pan American games are in the summer, so (the USA team) goes to a tournament first and the coaches know better what they have."
Luper scored nine points as Team USA pulled away in the second half to beat host Mexico 87-58 in Sunday’s final game of pool play. Mexico advanced to the gold medal round before losing to Puerto Rico 85-67.
Luper had 11 points and five rebounds Monday as the Americans downed Jamaica 87-41 in the seventh-place game.
How does she sum up the whole experience?
“I saw so much stuff that I didn’t know was possible. The basketball experience was amazing. I loved it. Playing against Olympic teams (for Argentina, Mexico, Puerto Rico). Basically, everybody brought their national team. We met Shawn Johnson (America’s 2008 Olympic gold medal gymnast) and a lot of cool people. It was nice to intermingle with athletes from all over the world.”
-- Mike Brown
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