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December 7, 2015: Cloricia vs Erik 1

Pregame:

December 7th. The first day of regular season games for the FBA and the fans were excited. After a ludicrous strike that delayed the FBA for so long, it was finally time for players to get back in action. This season is an important one for many players. For guard Cloricia Teixeria, this is a season to improve herself and get back in the playoffs with her team. After their short lived playoff run last year, everyone on the team wanted to show the world that the Mayors are better than that. Cloricia felt like she had even more to prove after her embarrassing playoff postgame press conference where she struggled to hold back tears. To make things even worse, this was her last year on contract with the Huntsville Mayors and she is determined to make the team still want her. For rookie point guard Erik Kijani, this is his opening season as he adapts to the FBA league. His confidence, determination, and great energy has gotten him this far, but he knows that there is a lot more that he has to do in order to stay in the league. Being drafted to the Pittsburgh Keystones was a great accomplishment and after the many practices and a good preseason showing, Erik was ready to make his mark on the court. Now, on this day, these two guards will face off against each other to prove their worth in this league and they won't let anything stop them. Soon, the buzzer sounded off. Clorica stretched her whole body and put on her new leg sleeves and knee pads and Erik said a short prayer to himself. It was time to play.

Game:

The first quarter ended with with the Mayors leading by 2. Cloricia barely played any minutes. The coaches wanted to give the Mayors' rookies more playing time. Cloricia was fine with the contribution, but she couldn't help the fact that she lost some time on the court. Her first quarter wasn't too good either. After only being in for a minute, she couldn't get any rebounds or steals. She tried to get her first points with a drive for a layup, but it was blocked by Lance Freewell. After the buzzer went off, she was just happy that they had the league. Erik didn't get to play in the first quarter. He was accepting of his rookie minutes so he spent his time on the bench cheering his team on with chants and claps. He made sure he was heard and he made sure his teammates shared his energy. Once the second quarter was getting ready to start, Randy Catcher pulled Erik to the side to talk to him.

"Alright rook," He said. "Welcome to your first FBA game. Now any feelings you have, any nerves you got, forget about them. Remember the plays, remember what you practiced and keep a your head in the game."

Erik nodded his head and stepped out on the court. He took a moment to look at all the cheering and screaming fans in the stadium. A small smile could be seen on his face. He then whispered under his breath:

"We made it John..."

Then, it was game time. Cloricia sat out so Erik faced off against the unforgiving Wendy Brown. The two certainly went at each other. Wendy would bump Erik or try to fake him out, but the leopard stood his ground. Wendy could only manage two points as Erik stood with her and pushed back everything Wendy had. But soon, Erik went a bit too hard and fouled Wendy on the arm. The whistle was blown and Wendy started to head to the free throw line.

"About time you call it." Wendy said.

"You just can't handle good defense, that's all." Erik said back immediately.

Wendy looked back at Erik with a short growl. Erik was unphased. Cloricia watched the whole thing in awe.

"What the hell is wrong with this kid?" She thought. "I mean, he's a decent player, but what a temper."

The quarter went on, and the Keystones managed to take the lead, but the Mayors were still close. Erik was managing well, but he failed to score any points. Still, when faced with a slow shooting start, he continued to run the plays and made sure he moved the ball. He even gave some of his teammates alley-oop passes that lead to monstrous slams.

Then halftime came. The Keystones led by five. Erik sat back down and Clorica came back in to play with Wendy. The game just continued to stay close and the Keystones always remained on top. Then, the Mayors coach called a timeout to get his team more motivated and focused. Coach Howard Schnitthund then went to Cloricia and said:

"I need you to get the ball in the post. So far that's our only real scoring option. Got it?"

"Yes coach." She said nodding her head.

After the buzzer sounded, both teams walked on to the floor. Then, Cloricia was a bit surprised to see Randy Catcher sitting down and Erik Kijani coming on the court to guard her. The two were finally going to face off. Cloricia thought in her head how to outsmart him.

"Okay, he's fast and strong, but he has a temper and he dribbles a lot." She thought. "I gotta keep him annoyed and panicked. Make him mess up."

The quarter began and Erik was still relentless on defense, but Cloricia was smart. She didn't try to score, she just made Erik think she was. With that, she was able to move the ball fast and allow her teammates to get open shots. Eventually, the Mayors had a one point lead. Erik was furious. Cloricia could tell. She finally had him...or so she thought. On one possession, Cloricia quickly brought the ball down the court, but Erik was waiting for her. She tried to fake him out, but he didn't fall for it. She then tried to dribble past him, but Erik stood his ground. The two ended up bumping into each other and Cloricia felt the full blow. She stepped back unbalanced by the bump and Erik took the opportunity to steal the ball. Cloricia quickly ran after him, but Erik ran straight for the basket. He was all on his own and Clorica couldn't catch up in time. Erik took his first two steps and quickly rose up in the air. He held the ball with one paw and slammed it down as hard as he could. He then landed on both of his feet and yelled a scream of victory. Keystones had the lead and Erik had his first official points of the FBA. Mayors called a timeout and Cloricia was put back on the bench. She felt so frustrated.

Postgame:

Soon, the final buzzer sounded off and the Keystones were able to keep their lead, winning the game 107 to 100. Press conferences soon followed and Cloricia wasn't excited for it. She sat down in the front seat, wearing her casual t-shirt and jeans jacket combo and some bracelets she thought made her look more professional. She received some quick compliments, but she just ignored them.

"Okay..." She said with a deep sigh. "Questions."

A reporter was chosen.

"First game of the season didn't go so well for you? Care to elaborate on what happened?" He asked.

"It was just one of those games." Said Cloricia. "Nothing was going in and we were still adapting to the plays and the team. It's a process and we will get it together soon. I don't doubt that."

The next reporter stood up.

"With the new additions to the team, it seems that you lost a few minutes. Do you feel like you deserve more time on the court?" She asked.

"You can't think like that." Cloricia said. "We're a team and regardless of how long I play, I trust the coach and I will be ready when he calls me."

Another reporter stood up.

"So, any more news on the so called 'secret relationship' between you and a certain squirrel?"

"No comment." Cloricia said.

Meanwhile, a happy Erik was also answering questions.

"So, you just finished your first FBA game. How do you feel it went?" One reporter asked.

"It feels great man. It's good to get that out of the way and start playing my game. I still got work to do, but I say that it wasn't a bad start."

"You say you had a good game, but you only scored four points. Care to explain?" Another reporter asked.

"Did I say that I had a good game? I don't remember saying that. I said that it wasn't a bad start. Don't twist my words. As far as points go, I'm a point guard and my job is to make sure the team can do what it wants to do." Erik said.

There was a short pause, then another reporter stood up.

"So, would you say that one of your man goals is to become the leader of this team?" She asked.

"My goals are to win games and win championships. I will do what I have to do to get those things. Catcher and Schumacher are the leaders. I'm just a part of the team....a team that should be feared."