Postcards from the Cavs in Costa Rica
We played three scrimmages while we were in Costa Rica, two against the University of Ottawa and one against the Costa Rican National Team. All of the games were played with international rules, which are a little different than what we were used to.
For me, the side out-of-bounds rules were a big difference where you couldn’t pass backcourt if you were already on one side. Also, on the free-throw line, there were times that you didn’t have someone underneath the basket. The opponents would be clear off the lane and standing back. I didn’t understand that rule. The shot clock was a big difference. It was 24 seconds and off an offensive rebound, it doesn’t reset to the full 24, it only resets to 14. You had to move in the offense really quick. On an offensive rebound, it either had to be a putback or a quick shot. – Moné Jones, junior forward
The reffing style was different from what we were used to over in the States as well. They let a lot more contact happen. It was a more physical game. The refs let us play through things. There weren’t a lot of calls on contact on the ball handlers, more of the fouls were down on the block. As for the teams we played, Ottawa was more of a screening team with a lot of sets. They set a lot of screens and didn’t really look inside. They relied mostly on their guards. They had a lot of talent and were a fun team to play.
We also appreciated being able to play against the Costa Rican National Team. They definitely were guard heavy. It was cool to play the national team in their home country.
– Shakyna Payne, redshirt sophomore forward