Hay and St. Francis Basketball Playing for Nor Cal Championship

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis will play for the Nor Cal Championship for the fourth time in school history on Saturday with a berth in the CIF State Championships at stake. Senior guard Tia Hay has helped lead the postseason run that has seen the Troubadours reach the Sac-Joaquin Section final and now the Nor Cal final.

“It feels really good being able to contribute to the team and bring something different,” said Hay.” It is pretty cool to bring in my basketball (background from Australia) and work with all the other players. We are playing well together and going far.”

Hay has had a big postseason. She came within two rebounds of a triple double in the semifinal win over Menlo-Atherton with 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. She has averaged 16.7 points over the six-game St. Francis postseason run.

“She is a very good basketball player,” said Head Coach Vic Pitton. “She understands the game extremely well. She has the ability to set up her teammates and see the floor – one of the best I have ever had as far as court vision – and is one of most creative players I have had. Sometimes she defers a bit too much as she is a very unselfish player.”

Hay and the Troubadours will benefit from not having to travel for the game and from their familiarity with Sleep Train Arena. St. Francis is 1-1 on the Kings’ floor this season, posting a league win over Davis in January and the section final loss to St. Mary’s on March 5, a game in which Hay scored 13 points.

“It is good because we feel more comfortable there,” said Hay. “I don’t think Castro Valley has played there so it gives us an advantage to know how the rims are more bouncy, the (feeling of) the floor and how spacious it is. Playing at Sleep Train before gives us a bit of advantage.”

Hay is in her first season in the United States after moving from Australia. She enrolled in St. Francis prior to her senior season and has been a welcome addition.

“She has been a joy to coach this year,” said Pitton.

After playing the opening two weeks, Hay was sidelined by a lengthy transfer review that kept her off the court for the good part of the season. She watched from the bench as her team went undefeated in the Delta League and win the title.

“It was really hard to only be able to train,” said Hay. “The positive side is I was able to sit on the bench and see things that we needed to work on. It is very different between being on the bench and court so I was able to see what worked or needed to be fixed. I love playing basketball so not playing was a negative.”

While not playing, she continued to practice. But the time off took its toll mentally as she ached to get back on the court.

“She showed a great deal of maturity and the longer she was off the more it hurt,” said Pitton. “There was a time when she was about to give up. But she didn’t and the showed great character by staying with it.”

Hay, who has signed to play at Colorado State next season, is taking advantage of every opportunity she has on the court now. She will get the chance to extend her season with a win Saturday in the Nor Cal final against Castro Valley.

“It would mean a lot,” said Hay of winning and advancing to the state title game. “To come all this way and achieve something I never thought we could achieve, it would be an amazing thing.”

Pitton is excited for the opportunity for his team. There is only one Nor Cal Championship banner for basketball (13 overall) hanging in the gym on campus. The 2015-16 Troubadours have a chance to add another and leave a lasting legacy at the school.

“It is all about the team,” said Pitton. “To have these ladies work so hard and overcome obstacles to proceed on this journey together, it is an honor to play for a Nor Cal Championship. It is something that will be with them the rest of their lives. Hopefully, we get enough opportunities out there to be successful.”

Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Sleep Train Arena. The game will not be televised or streamed.