The cheers from the Harlaxton students and basketball team echoed throughout the campus sports hall in Grantham, England, on Jan 21 after a victory in the first game of the season.

One basketball player, two volleyball players and one soccer player from Baker University helped lead Harlaxton College’s co-ed team to the win.

“When I first saw the team walk through the door, I thought we were going to get murdered,” sophomore Keaton Anchors, who plays soccer at Baker, said. “Once I saw them start to shoot, I felt a lot more confident in our team.”

Harlaxton’s basketball team plays games against teams from the Lincolnshire area. These teams are predominantly male and are within the 30-40 age range.

Playing against an all male team didn’t faze fifth-year senior BriAnna Garza, who has already finished her varsity basketball eligibility at Baker.

“One of the strategies my coach back home had was to have us play male teams during practice,” Garza said. “It toughened us up.”

Going into college, all four of these BU athletes were faced with having to choose which sport they would play at the collegiate level. Garza chose basketball and Anchors chose soccer, while juniors Kaysha Green and Paige Meader chose volleyball.

“It’s cool that I’m able to play basketball again,” Meader said.

Owen Sheridan, assistant dean and activities director, helps coach the team.

“We have had quite a few good athletes from Baker every semester,” Sheridan said. “Everyone on the team seems like they know what they’re doing.”

At multiple points during the first game, all four of the players from Baker were on the court at the same time.

“I enjoy being able to play with some of the people I go to school with back home,” Green said. “We aren’t all able to play this sport at home, so it’s cool that we get to do something we don’t normally have the chance to do.”

All four of the BU athletes are looking forward to the rest of the season and believe that they can improve as they continue to have more games and practices.