That's one way she is trying to help the Admirals avoid a letdown after 10 days of focusing on the All "A" regional and state All "A" tournaments ended with their 54-49 loss to Middlesboro.
"I brought it up during that timeout: 'We've got Garrard County Saturday, and that's all I'm worried about,'" Mason said. "And they're going to hear that so many times, because I do not want them to come out flat. We've come too far in the last few weeks to take a step back."
Mason coached Somerset teams to seven straight appearances in the small-school tourney, so she knows all about the dreaded All "A" letdown.
"I've seen teams totally lay down," she said. "I was telling them after the game, 'You can go either way,' and I refuse to let them go the opposite way."
She said she doesn't think they will, either.
"This team has grown up a lot in the last week and a half," Mason said.
Improvement over last season
This Danville season, coming after it went 7-20 last season, can already be considered an unqualified success.
The Admirals are 11-7 overall and in second place in the 45th District standings at 2-1, and they had won five straight games before their loss Wednesday.
"I want them to remember this feeling," Mason said.
But Mason said she also wants them to leave Richmond looking forward.
"We've still got some records we want to break this year, and we've not accomplished that," she said.
Danville has reached the 12th Region Tournament only twice - its last trip was in 2004 - and the Admirals can take the first step in that direction in Saturday's 45th District game against Garrard.
(Their game at Lincoln County that was scheduled for Friday has been postponed until Feb. 15.)
A win over Garrard would keep the Admirals out of the No. 4 seed in the district tournament that is just over three weeks away, meaning they would likely avoid a first-round game against powerful Lincoln.
"That's the game we've got to win to stay out of the (No.) 4 seed, and that's more important to me right now than three weeks from now or this ballgame," Mason said.
