Editor's note: Louisiana Tech's Brooke Lassiter, a senior guard and two-year co-captain, will share a weekly diary with ESPN.com throughout the season.

Jan. 14, 2002

I am suffering from sleep deprivation at the moment so bear with me as I share with you some of the highlights of our recent road trip to San Jose and Hawaii. We left last Tuesday to embark on our second West Coast road trip of our inaugural WAC season and returned today (Monday) to our beloved Ruston. It was quite a long trip but well worth the travels as we picked up two more conference victories.

	Brooke Lassiter averaged 10.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists last season.

We arrived in San Jose Tuesday night and I was not welcomed in the most wonderful fashion. Getting off of the bus seemed to be little tricky for me and I plummeted down the steps and onto the sidewalk! I provided everyone with a good laugh and had my humbling moment for the day. Needless to say, every time we got on or off the bus I was reminded to watch my step!

After practice on Wednesday night, the team went to Dave and Buster's for an evening of dining and entertainment. Several of us tried our hands at the virtual reality game and it proved to be a little more difficult for some of us than others. Coach Budke whipped us and was not afraid to tell us for the rest of the trip all about his superior performance in "the pod." Everyone had a great time and it was a nice change of pace before game day.

We played a very good defensive game against San Jose and won big despite struggling a little offensively at times. Our coaching staff did a great job of preparing us for the game and we were excited about the victory and anxious to arrive in Hawaii.

Hawaiian style
It was my first trip to Hawaii and I was elated to be traveling to beautiful Honolulu. The team survived the long flight and was ready to see the sights after we checked in the hotel. Our hotel was just a couple of blocks from the beach so a few of us went for a stroll on the beach and then through the city before curfew. We saw some interesting sights that are foreign to Louisiana, especially Ruston!

	Kurt Budke, who went Hawaiian last year against the Wahine, was 273-21 as a juco coach.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was being able to visit Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial. It was truly a touching moment and brought a few tears to my eyes. I could not help but think about the impact the event had on our nation and world. I have the utmost admiration and respect for all service men and women who so graciously sacrifice their own lives for our great nation. God bless you all!

We had an evening out at Germaine's Luau on Saturday night and it was quite an experience. I think we had recruited a few new fans after we finished learning the hula and other Hawaiian dances during the night. Kenya Bibbs added her own flavor to the hula and many people in the crowd found her version very entertaining!

It was great to have a few of our loyal fans in Hawaii to cheer us on and take in the sights of Honolulu. Mr. John, Mr. Rae, Mrs. Judy, Mrs. Kim, Shelley, Mr. Bill, and Mrs. Cheryl -- thanks so much for your support and for traveling all that way to cheer for us. I just wish I could have seen you all during your parasailing adventure!

The most satisfying aspect of the trip was coming away with two very important conference wins and still managing to have a wonderful time and enjoy ourselves in the process. Coach Barmore was missed on the trip and coaches Budke, Johnson, Long and Cochran filled in nicely and had us very well-prepared. Now, it is back to class and I have lots of work and a couple of tests to make up this week. The vicious cycle continues!

Lassiter's top 10
This week I wanted to leave you with a little something extra. I have compiled a "Top 10 List" from this past week's travels and would like to share it with you all.

10. Shopping in Honolulu ... I no longer have any money!
9. "Big Bird" in the airport line on the way home ... Yes, she can read!
8. The Hawaiian attire our coaching staff and manager wore for the game
7. Scaling "the wall" on the beach at night
6. Big K's Louisiana/Hawaiian dancing at the luau
5. Having Alika serenade us on the way home from the luau
4. Touring Pearl Harbor with Patti ... she didn't leave any coconuts behind!
3. Cheryl and Amber bombarding Hawaii's defense
2. The mangos were considerably larger than I had anticipated!
1. My parent's celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary!

Have a wonderful week everyone and Aloha!

Brooke