|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
People SearchFind an individual who either played a sport or was a member of a support group. Search by last name by clicking on the first letter of the person's last name.
Ms. Bernette "Bernie" Tolston
Home:
Work:
Home Phone: -- Tolston’s seen it all Bruce Brown When Bernette Tolston was a freshman, Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns endured a 1-14 campaign in Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball. When the Cajuns tip off against Arkansas-Little Rock at 7 p.m. today at Earl K. Long Gym, they can clinch a tie for the Sun Belt’s Western Division title. It’s been quite a ride in between those two campaigns. “It’s been a roller coaster, but a good roller coaster for me,” said Tolston, one of three seniors on the 18-8, 8-5 Cajuns of coach J. Kelley Hall. “It’s turning out pretty good. I have to say it was worth it.” The Cajuns finished 7-21 in 2001-2002, the last campaign for coach Gay Nix and Tolston’s first after a stellar career at Lake Charles-Boston High School. Hall took over the next year and UL improved slightly to 8-19, 4-11. Then last season the Cajuns were 13-15, 7-8, and were 13-11 before running out of gas late in the year. Now they’re enjoying the first winning season at the school in 17 years and are shooting for that West crown. “The only thing I can say is that it’s a miracle,” Tolston said. “After my freshman year, to be in first place my senior year is just unbelievable. “It’s very exciting, especially knowing we’ll be home for these last two games (Arkansas State follows on Saturday). We haven’t lost at home this year, and I’m really anticipating the (UALR) game. “We have a different kind of confidence in each other. We all believe we can do it. We’re confident within ourselves.” That enhanced self image is buoyed by the support the Cajuns have received on and off the court. “We go out to eat as a team, and we have shirts on that say Ragin’ Cajun Basketball, and people will come up to us and say, ‘You guys are doing good’,” Tolston said. “It’s totally different now. The community has really backed us and that helps a whole lot. Things have changed tremendously.” Long Gym used to be fairly quiet on game nights, but that has changed as the Cajuns’ fortunes have improved. There is one pocket of fans who have been there for Tolston through thick and thin, though. “My family comes to all our games,” Tolston said. “I don’t even have to look. I know they’re there. That makes it especially special for me. They don’t have to do this, but they’re always there for me. I’m also starting to see a lot of the same people coming to our games.” What fans are seeing is a determined team that has molded individual talents to improve the whole. That’s true of Tolston, who has 147 3-point baskets but is also happy contributing in other ways. “We put the emphasis on defense and rebounding, so you need to change your game,” Tolston said. “You make adjustments in order to win. I guess you decide at that point that you make sacrifices, but it’s for the team. “You know what to do and what not to do. I like to shoot it, but we might be playing a team that is weak inside, so we go inside. I understand that. It’s a whole lot more fun this way.” That attitude was evident last Saturday when the Cajuns defeated New Mexico State 72-57 in Las Cruces to set up this weekend’s big finish. UL out-rebounded the Aggies 43-34, with Tolston grabbing a career-high 12 and center Anna Petrakova snaring 11. “Bernie missed the first chance she had at a rebound, and got hollered at,” said Hall, who did the hollering. “She didn’t like that, and she didn’t miss another rebound all game.” “You don’t like to be called out,” Tolston said. “After that I went after every one I could. I knew we had to rebound and play defense in order to win.” The Cajuns got away from that formula two nights before that in a 61-51 loss at North Texas, a defeat that prompted some soul searching. “After the game Thursday, we stayed in the locker room,” Tolston said. “We decided that we weren’t going to fall. We weren’t going to fold. We decided we’re not going down. We were going to get back up and keep fighting.” Tolston, a health and physical education major, will do her student teaching next fall and graduate in December. When she goes finish, she wants to coach. “I’ve been inspired,” Tolston said. “I’ve learned so much from the whole system here. I like the way it runs. It’s nothing spectacular. It’s just that when you do it, do it right and go hard. “The way coach Hall motivates us in practice, the way he prepares us, helps us not only in basketball but in life.” The Cajun turnaround has been so dramatic that Tolston wouldn’t mind extending the season by springing an upset or two at the March 4-8 Sun Belt Tournament in Denton, Texas. “We’re concentrating on these last two games,” Tolston said. “We do have confidence with the tournament coming up. We’re expected to win now, so it’s totally different. There’s already been pressure this season.” If winning produces pressure, then Tolston and her teammates will gladly take it. It tops settling for one victory in an entire league campaign. Originally published February 24, 2005 Basketball: Women improve November 06, 2005 – Cajuns’ effort much better in victory over Jackson Babes, former star center. Bruce Brown Two things became apparent Saturday night at Earl K. Long Gym. First, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun women showed marked improvement from their first exhibition game to their second, pouring in 52 points in the first half and topping the Jackson Babes 89-79. After managing just 54 points in an 82-54 loss to Everyone’s Internet last Tuesday, the Cajuns gave the 264 fans on hand reason for hope. Secondly, Anna Petrakova still has game. She scored 27 points and had 14 rebounds for Jackson, playing in a different uniform after a sterling career at UL that included Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2004 and two all-conference campaigns. “Obviously, Anna played really well,” UL coach J. Kelley Hall said. “We wanted Yolie (Yolanda Jones) to go against good players, which will continue to make her better as she gets a little more familiar with our team.” “It’s coming along,” said Jones, who finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. “This night felt better. I was nervous on Tuesday. I’m starting to see where the other players are on the floor, and how they play.” Petrakova, on the other hand, needed a half to get into a rhythm. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy,” she said. “For one thing, they (the Cajuns) know everything about me. For another, I know nothing about my (Jackson) teammates. And third, I wasn’t sure what position I was playing. The 4? The 5? Both? “I made some adjustments in the first half and felt more comfortable in the second.” The Babes also got 15 points each from ex-Cajun Bernette Tolston and Ta’Keshia Lewis as well as 12 from Pam Hudson. “I had fun,” said Tolston, who has been coaching 8th grade basketball at the Academy of Sacred Heart at Grand Coteau. “It was an experience.” Charles, who nailed 5-of-9 3-pointers and had 18 points, ignited the early offensive fireworks for the Cajuns. “He (Hall) knew our offense would come,” Charles said. “We were stepping up well on defense and rebounding. At least it was better than Tuesday. We came out strong, and just knew we would win this game.” “We’re not focused on offense right now,” Jones said. “We got our offense from our defense. It all goes back to defense. We worked hard this week, and we’ll work hard next week, too.” The Cajuns, who open the season next Friday at SMU in the Preseason NIT, out-rebounded Jackson 43-40. Ashley Blanche scored 15 points and dished out 9 assists, while freshman Whitney Dunlap drained 5-of-8 3-pointers for 15 points of her own. “Our defense gave us some good open looks when we pushed it in transition early,” Hall said. “We had some good open looks. I was glad to see that we shot the ball well. We’ve got to continue to get better defensively and rebounding the ball. “I was pleased at times. We just have so many new kids. Jackson is an experienced team, and an experienced team will exploit young kids.” “It was very interesting,” Petrakova said. And productive, in many ways. Originally published November 6, 2005
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
