While most Syracuse students flee the campus once their finals are complete, players on the women’s basketball team are left behind. But this year the athletes are being treated to a special trip that will take them far from the cold wintry weather in Central New York.

The Orange will travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the San Juan Shootout. The team is scheduled to play two games there against Loyola and Texas Christian on Dec. 19 and Dec. 20.

SU head coach Quentin Hillsman said the trip was planned last year and the games will be a good barometer for the Orange to see how good it can really be. Syracuse must answer the question of whether it will consistently play like the team that won three straight last week or the team that lost three straight the week before.

‘It’s one of those tournaments where we’re going to get to play some good teams,’ Hillsman said. ‘It’s going to be a good test for us.’

While the Orange players are focused on winning games in Puerto Rico, Hillsman did say the potential for 90-degree heat and sunny weather in December played a factor in the decision to go to San Juan.

‘We’re not going to deny that the weather wasn’t a bit of an allure,’ Hillsman said. ‘I don’t know if it would have been the same tournament if we knew we were flying into a blizzard.’

The Orange already missed one break this school year when it had to travel to St. Peter’s (N.J.) the day before Thanksgiving and came home for a game in the Carrier Dome four days later against Niagara.

With eight games being played over break, SU will have a busy month as it wraps up the non-conference schedule and starts playing the top teams in the Big East. Hillsman said a little time away from campus – especially in sunny Puerto Rico – will be good for the players to break away from the monotony.

‘Yeah it’s nice because we’re the only ones on campus besides the men’s basketball team so it’s nice to get out and travel,’ sophomore forward Keri Laimbeer said. ‘We are excited.’

For junior center Vaida Sipaviciute, the trip is a chance for her to spend time with the closest thing she has to family in the United States. The American players on the team go home for a few days for Christmas, but the Lithuanian native Sipaviciute and Latvian citizen Lina Lisnere don’t have that opportunity.

‘(The team)’s all I got,’ Sipaviciute said. ‘That’s my family right now. It’s like home.’

Coming from Lithuania, Sipaviciute should be used to the cold Syracuse weather, but the co-captain said she is looking forward to getting away for a while. She said she really wants to find a couple hours of free time to enjoy a little sun, but not for the whole trip.

‘I will get some sun if we are going to have time,’ Sipaviciute said. ‘But at the same time I know if we’re playing games, the sun takes all the energy out of you and makes you tired and sleepy, so I don’t want to do that too much.’

The Orange might not have much time to lie on the beach on this trip. The team travels to San Juan on Dec. 17 and comes home on Dec. 21. In the five days, the team will play two games and travel for two days, leaving Dec. 18 as the lone day off.

Senior Ashley McMillen said she is thinking about the tough games SU will be playing more than she is thinking about the sun and the beach. At the same time she did say she wouldn’t complain about the nice weather and would like to spend some time on the beach.

McMillen said the team is going to have to work hard to stay focused on basketball in Puerto Rico, but didn’t think it would be a problem at game time.

‘It’s pretty tough,’ McMillen said. ‘We’ll probably have a couple pretty tough games.’

Even with the difficult schedule, Hillsman said the trip was designed to let the players unwind from the hectic life of being student-athletes. He said he wouldn’t mind seeing the team studying or reading books on the beach.

‘I think it’s important to let them have some fun, give them some free time,’ Hillsman said. ‘Because that’s part of the trip, getting away from it a little bit.’

As for Hillsman, he said he would be spending most of the trip watching film and preparing for the games. One thing is certain: He won’t be joining his players if they decide to take a dip in the warm Atlantic waters.

‘I can’t swim so it doesn’t matter for me,’ Hillsman said. ‘I’ll hang out. I’ll lay out and get some heat and warm my body up.’

Published on December 6, 2006 at 12:00 pm