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You are here: Home / Showcase / Suzzy and Lizzy are lifelong teammates

Suzzy and Lizzy are lifelong teammates

January 16, 2014 by Jimmy Isbell

For Suzzy and Lizzy Dimba playing college basketball at the Div. I level in the land of opportunity was always a dream of theirs. Thirteen years later, their dream came true.

“Moving here to America was such a big opportunity, and playing college basketball was always in our plan,” Lizzy Dimba said. “Not only did we want to play college ball, but we wanted our school paid for so our parents would not have to.”

The Dimba twins were born in Nairobi, Kenya and moved to Lubbock when they were five. They’ve played on the same team since the fifth grade, and one of their requirements to play in college was to play on the same team. Their parents felt the same way.

“Our parents never pressured us to play, they just wanted us to be happy whether playing or not,” Suzzy Dimba said. “They would always say, ‘Do whatever makes you happy and at the end of the day, it’s your life,'” both said in unison.

The Dimba twins refused to accept any offer from other universities when one or the other was recruited. ACU was the first school to recruit both of them, and coach Goodenough gave them a full scholarship and a trip to Abilene as soon as possible.

“I think if coach Goodenough was not here, it would be a different situation,” Lizzy Dimba said. “She’s a really great coach who wanted us on her team since day one.”

In high school, the Dimba twins were not just stars on the basketball court, but the volleyball court and soccer field as well. It was tough for them to stop playing volleyball at the collegiate level, but they knew their decision to play basketball would give them the best opportunity for a full scholarship and a chance to play as freshmen.

As little girls, the Dimba twins grew up watching the Texas Tech women’s basketball team at United Spirit Arena, and all they wanted to do was play for Tech.

Little did they know they would play against Tech and defeat them. With 3.2 seconds left on the clock, Lizzy Dimba was fouled and sent to the free-throw line to shoot two. She made both shots, giving her team the lead. As the buzzer sounded, the Wildcats beat Tech for the first time since Nov. 13, 1978.

“I think that game was the one game I wanted to win the most just because we always both wanted to play at Tech and when that dream did not happen, we wanted to come home and make a statement,” Suzzy Dimba said. “It was a dream for the both of us to play on that court, but to play with our team and come out with a win was unbelievable.”

The Tech game and all of the other games the Dimba twins have been in this season have been learning experiences. As a team full of freshmen and sophomores, the girls realize how important a win for this program is.

Ever since the Dimba twins moved to the Land of Opportunity at the age of four, they have received many opportunities. Coach Goodenough and Abilene Christian made sure they drove each of those opportunities to the hoop to score.

Filed Under: Showcase, Sports Tagged With: Sports feature, Women's Basketball

Other Showcase:

  • Cullen Auditorium still set for a name change alongside renovations

  • Wildcats conclude season with preparations for WAC Championships

  • FilmFest winners awarded, gala and student productions back to normal

About Jimmy Isbell

You are here: Home / Showcase / Suzzy and Lizzy are lifelong teammates

Other Showcase:

  • Cullen Auditorium still set for a name change alongside renovations

  • Wildcats conclude season with preparations for WAC Championships

  • FilmFest winners awarded, gala and student productions back to normal

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