Hoop N Surf Classic Web Page
ABILENE, Texas – The McMurry University women's basketball team gets the unique opportunity to play two games in Honolulu, Hawaii Sunday and Monday at the Hoop and Surf Classic put on by the Malika Sports group.
Sunday, McMurry will take on Lake Forest College at 11 a.m. followed by a game with Christopher Newport University Monday at 4 p.m. CNU is ranked No. 3 in the nation by both the WBCA and D3hoops.com.
“We'll be facing some great competition while we're there. Lake Forest has a very methodical half-court offense, and they are very regimented and organized,” said McMurry head coach Veronica Snow. “With Christopher Newport, it's a great chance to help us earn respect, not only for us but our conference.”
“Howard Payne won the national title and both Hardin-Simmons and McMurry have been to the national tournament multiple times, but yet every year we still fall short in voting,” she said. “Anytime we can compete with and, or beat ranked opponents is going to help us and our conference.”
Not only is McMurry going to play two games, but obviously a trip to one of the U.S.A.'s most popular tourist attractions will be a nice way to complete the team's non-conference schedule.
Among the plans for the team while off the mainland is to visit the site of Pearl Harbor, visit the Dole Pineapple Farm, and to take in the sites of some of Hawaii's finest surfing waters.
“The trip to Pearl Harbor is such a rich U.S. history spot. We've got kids who have military families, and that makes it personal,” Snow said. “Anytime you can make history come alive and have the realization that people are, and have been fighting and dying for you so that we can do the things like play basketball and have the freedoms we have. We're coaches but also educators and we wouldn't be doing our jobs if we didn't help this generation realizes the sacrifices made at a place like Pearl Harbor.”
Several parents and McMurry supporters will be joining the team, and in fact 57 people including the 18-woman roster will be on site with the team.
