The odds of having identical twins are 3 to 1,000. Count Lauren and Erin Godde as one of those three. The forwards from Jackson, California possess versatile skill sets and are a major reason why the Warriors women’s basketball team has a bright future ahead of them. The two have combined to average 18 points and 15.5 rebounds a game this season. Your last chance to catch #13 (Lauren) and #22 (Erin) at work is Thursday and Friday at Fitzpatrick Arena.
What brought you both to CSU Stanislaus?
Lauren: Basketball and out of all the schools that wanted us to play for them it was the closest to home.
Erin: Basketball and it was close to home.
Did either of you think about going to different colleges?
Erin: The plan, we really didn’t have a plan to go together or not, but that’s just the way it worked out.
Since it was closest to home it was the best school for both of us.
Lauren: It was the only DII school that wanted us both.
Do you feel like you have a special connection on the court because you are twins?
Lauren: Yeah because we have played with each other…
Erin: Since the beginning of time (Laughs).
Lauren: (Laughs) I just know what she can do and she knows what I can do.
Erin: I know her strengths and weaknesses.
When you play 1-on-1, who wins?
Lauren: Me.
Erin: Only because she pushes.
Lauren: Excuses.
Erin: When we play 1-on-1 this is how it ends: It starts out ok and then we start fighting. Then we just stop. We never get through a whole game. If we play HORSE or any other games, I win.
Major?
Lauren and Erin: Kinesiology.
What do you expect both team-wise and personally for your last two years here?
Lauren: To be successful.
Erin: To keep improving.
Lauren: Yeah, to keep improving.
Erin: I feel like we have improved since last year but keep improving.
Lauren and Erin: Make the playoffs.
Although this season has been tough, what positives can either of you take?
Erin: It has brought us closer together as a team because not having so many people (only 7 players on the team), we’ve really had to stick together.
Lauren: Basketball-wise, it has taught us to just play through it.
Erin: It builds character, well character isn’t the right word, but it teaches you something.
Any players you model your game after?
Lauren: Coach Gibson.
Erin: Coach Turner.
Why did you choose basketball?
Erin and Lauren: We’ve played it the longest and it is the sport we are best at playing.
Do your parents ever confuse the two of you?
Lauren: If they yell at us, they just shout out the wrong name, like my name is usually the name that comes out first.
Erin: They never confuse us but sometimes they will look at us and go Lauren, I mean Erin.
Lauren: They get our names mixed up but they know how to tell us apart.
Erin: They better be able to tell us apart (Laughs).
Have you ever switched numbers to confuse opposing teams?
Lauren: I’ve thought about it. Like at the beginning of the game but we never have.
Erin: We use to play games for our travel ball team and the jerseys didn’t have numbers on them and we had the same shoes and everything. So the opposing teams had a hard time figuring out who was who.