Editor’s note: Stephanie Cherry is a junior guard on the Sacramento State women’s basketball team. She scored 22 points and had five steals in the Hornets’ 68-67 overtime win over Southern Utah on Saturday afternoon. She recently filed her second player diary for the season.

We were coming off of two tough losses on the road to Wyoming and Boise State. The past week of practice was intense and filled with a lot of five-on-five action. The teams were being split up in ways that they never had been before and it gave us a chance to play with those who we rarely saw court time with. It was a very good week of practice and it shows just how much can happen in a week. Our chemistry was building and our on-court connection was stronger than ever.

Now with that said let me ask you a question: Have you ever been in a game, with two seconds left, stuck in a corner with a defender guarding you as your teammate drives to the basket and shoots? Well let me tell you that it is one of the scariest positions to be in. I was that person in the corner as Kim (Sheehy) drove to her right and put a floater up in the air as the clock wound down. I can’t even describe the emotions that I was feeling as I watched the ball leave her hands, bounce off of the rim and finally through the net (giving the Hornets a home win over then-undefeated Southern Utah in overtime). Besides that game-winning shot by Kim, we had some other people who stepped their game up and contributed to our win.

Ashley Cadotte, or “Treys,” was a monster on the boards, pulling down 13 for the night. I did my part with five steals to spark our defensive energy. Katelyn (Ciampi) or “Presh” came though in the final stretch with some big time box outs and rebounds. Atalanta (Boyer) or “Rookie” hit a few clutch shots at the right times to keep us alive offensively. Everyone played well that night and we were all on the same page. Kim stuck the fork in them to finish the game off.

I was the first to greet Kim after her shot, and I recall that it was the first time we had ever felt a connection like that in our two years of being teammates. After the game we all met at the circle; the excitement and relief we shared was apparent and for once we were a team.

Look for Stephanie’s player diary every week on www.statehornet.com

November 16

My name is Stephanie Cherry and, truth be told, I am nothing without my family. If you know anything about me, you would know that my sisters are the center of my world and my entire collective family is my No. 1 fan.

On the court I can always hear my mother’s voice, whether she is yelling at me or a referee’s call. Trust me, my mom has been thrown out of her share of games because of me. She has a mouth on her, but it’s all love. My uncle Lito would have to be the second megaphone mouth of the family during my games.

These two voices are so distinct in my mind and apparent to everyone in the gym when they don’t agree with something in the game. I can always count on my sister Selecia and my cousin Leilanie to sit in the stands and shout out cheers to our opponents as they shoot free throws. Sometimes I look in the stands during timeouts and as the music plays; they get up to perform as if it were a dancing stage of their own.

It is never a game without seeing my youngest sister Danyelle “Pimpin'” taking my roommate Stasi on six, seven or eights trips to the snack bar in a matter of five minutes. Sam, my other roommate and former teammate, always has hidden goals to get me to laugh at any given point during the game. She sits across from me, smiles, waves, giggles and does pretty much anything to get a reaction out of me.

Yeah, this is pretty much a typical game for my family and I. These people are my main supporters, along with others. They are my family and my life. Without them I am not me, and my love for the game wouldn’t be quite as strong as it is. It is their passion in watching me play that heightens my passion to play the game.