Michael Contreras doesn’t miss games when his daughter Alayna Contreras is involved regardless of how far it means he travels.
The former guard has spent his life on the hardwood, from his playing days at Concordia College to coaching and referring in Minnesota.
Alayna Contreras is now on her third college stop, going from Arizona to Missouri and now Middle Tennessee.
“You have got to do it, cause it goes so fast,” Michael Contreras said. “They go so quick.”
Alayna Contreras played at Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota, known for producing WNBA players Paige Bueckers and Nia Coffey. While at Hopkins, Contreras won two state championships and two perfect seasons.
Alayna Contreras started her college career at Cochise College, a junior college in Sierra Vista, Arizona.
Michael Contreras flew down from Minnesota to Phoenix and then drove four hours to support his daughter as she started her college career.
The freshman guard went from Cochise to the University of Missouri-Kansas City for two years before transferring to MTSU for her senior year.
“She [Alayna] wanted the chance to play in the NCAA tournament, and she loved her teammates at KC [Kansas City] and loved the coaching but just wanted a little bit more,” Michael Contreras said. “We visited about three or four schools and Middle Tennessee felt like home.”
Since becoming a Murphy Center regular, Michael Contreras sits in the front row across from the Lady Raiders’ bench along with traveling to away games.
“I referee basketball on the weekends and then paycheck,” Michael Contreras said. “There is my plane ticket, so you got to do it.”
Him and a dozen plus family members were in the same section against Missouri State for senior day.
There were too many family members to count, Alayna Contreras said.
“My mom made it, my cousins and my aunt, my wife’s family from St. Louis are big supporters,” Michael Contreras said. “So, it was really close for them and an easy choice for them to get here…They love basketball, they love supporting their families.”
Alayna Contreras now has the Lady Raiders set to face Missouri State once again in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA tournament.
Getting to the NCAA tournament will be a challenge, starting with the Lady Bears. From there, Florida International University stands in the way for a spot in the championship game.
MTSU and FIU matched up twice in the regular season, with the Panthers winning both games, including a two-point double overtime win.
The remaining teams on the other side of the bracket include one-seed Louisiana Tech, reigning CUSA champions Liberty University and Sam Houston State University.
MTSU tips off against Missouri State today at 2 p.m. CDT at the Propst Arena in Huntsville, Alabama.
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