To keep from going crazy, Anastasia Minaeva and Tatiana Khudiakova knew they’d have to rely on each other.

Both shared the same story of coming to Brenau University on Aug. 27 to begin a career as basketball players, a long way from their home in Moscow. Neither, upon arrival, really new what to expect as their journey began as student-athletes in Gainesville.

Tentative with being in a new country, they depended on one another — even though their first meeting was on the transatlantic flight to Atlanta — for learning the basics about life in the U.S. such as translating the language, transportation, and making new friends on campus and on the team.

“They were very homesick at first,” said Golden Tigers sophomore guard Sarah Ward. “I think they’ve gotten a little more comfortable with us and living in America.

“Anastasia and Tatiana are both very, very nice people.”

Getting comfortable with being part of the Golden Tigers’ basketball program as freshmen was almost a secondary concern with so many things getting thrown at them at one time. After their first taste of American life as college students, and having to speak English on an everyday basis for the first time, there was inevitably some doubt in there minds as to whether leaving life in Russia behind was such a good idea.

“Everything is so different here,” said the 22-year-old Khudiakova in a thick Russian accent. “The food, people, attitudes ... everyone here is so cautious to me.

“Then when we were sitting in class, it was like listening to music in the background that made no sense.”

Even getting to Gainesville was a hassle for Khudiakova, who had passport issues at the American embassy in Moscow. By the time the pair arrived from Moscow, Brenau was already through with its first week of classes.

“When they arrived, the deck was stacked against them,” Brenau coach Gary Bays said.

Now that they have a full semester under their belts, they’ve become full-fledged team leaders, not just members of the team observing from a distance. Khudiakova, a 6-foot-2 post player, and Minaeva, a 5-7 point guard, have become nice complements to one others skill set.

Khudiakova is averaging 10 points, six rebounds and two assists per game, while Minaeva has almost nine points and three assists per game for the Golden Tigers (7-1). On Nov. 20, both put their best games together on the same night with 20 points and nine rebounds from Khudiakova and 17 points from Minaeva in an 81-49 win against Belhaven University.

“First of all, Anastasia (who goes by Nastia) is a natural point guard, sees the floor very well and is very unselfish with the ball,” Bays said. “She’s a great 3-point shooter too, which is something she was resistant to at first since she didn’t shoot the ball in Russia.

“Tatiana is the complete package offensively, which is a luxury we haven’t had before,” added Bays, who’s coached the program all five seasons. “And both of them are great on defense.”

Brenau assistant coach Beth Henson knew right away the new players would bring a tremendous work ethic by their diligence in practice.

“They are very dedicated players,” Henson said. “They always do what they’re told to do and I’m sure that comes from their strict upbringing and disciplined approach.”

When the pair arrived in Atlanta fresh off a 12-hour, nonstop flight from Moscow, Bays wanted to welcome them with open arms. The entire basketball team traveled from Gainesville to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to greet them and usher them to their new home, which came as a bit of a shock to Minaeva and Khudiakova. .

These are the first two Russian players that Bays has coached for the Golden Tigers.

“I didn’t expect the entire team to meet us at the airport, it was a big surprise,” Khudiakova said.

Their trek to Brenau came as a result of a recommendation to Bays by an agency for sports in Russia. He evaluated and liked their individual skill sets from studying their highlight tapes.

However, learning to live in the U.S. was a totally different story for Khudiakova and Minaeva, who each spoke English prior to arrival, but weren’t fluent yet — especially with regional variations and slang in the south. But the pros outweighed the cons of coming to school in the U.S. Both players were eager to make the jump to come to America, even though they faced a steep learning curve in all aspects of life.

“In Russia, it is hard to go somewhere to be able to study and learn,” Minaeva said. “This gave us that opportunity to play basketball and get an education.”

“I wanted to come to the south where it was warmer,” said Khudiakova, who spent four years playing basketball in Russia before deciding college was the best path. “When I started talking to the coach (at Brenau), it was February and it was so cold in Moscow.”

Learning the American style of basketball is quite different for both Khudiakova and Minaeva, the biggest of which is the more aggressive style of play here.

“I was covered in bruises those first couple of games,” she added.

On the academic front, Minaeva and Khudiakova were purposely put together in classes this fall so they could be of help to one another. The two took Psychology, English, Freshmen Orientation and Golf this fall. Not only did they sit beside one another in classes, but they would also stay up all night studying together, trying to get a grasp what they were supposed to be learning.

Making it more difficult, Khudiakova recalls the first book to read in English was Kathryn Stockett’s novel ‘The Help’, which is thick on southern phrases and jargon. Progressively, their English skills have improved since they first arrived.

“We’d still be up studying at 3 or 4 a.m. trying to get our work for class done,” Khudiakova said. “With class and practice it was very tough.”

Another puzzle for these two was understanding American customs. There was also a huge gap in understanding why folks here in the U.S. wanted to drive everywhere. In Russia, as Khudiakova explains, people walk everywhere, even in the busy metropolitan city of Moscow.

She found it tough to get used to the fact that other students at Brenau liked to drive their cars everywhere, even when traveling across campus.

“Everyone is so cautious here,” Khudiakova said. “I remember soon after we got here that I asked Nastia if she wanted to walk somewhere, so we walked to Wal-Mart (about three miles from Brenau’s campus).

“They were so surprised to hear we did that.”

Both players say their families back in Russia were supportive of their decision to attend college and play basketball in the U.S.

Getting comfortable with the rest of the Brenau team was also a work in progress for the foreign pair. First, they had to learn everyones names, which they used player bios from the team’s website to match a name with a face. Then, they used team bonding exercises and outings to get comfortable with the team.

Since then, they’ve made strides to break down the natural barriers. Minaeva and Khudiakova took a trip this fall with teammate Jasmyn Farmer for a day-out in Atlanta. Once again, Khudiakova couldn’t get over the fact that everyone was driving.

They also took a trip to Ward’s hometown of Elberton to experience life in the country. That was another eye-opening experience, considering Minaeva and Khudiakova lived extensively in the city before coming to Gainesville.

“They’ve lived in apartments, or as they call them flats, their entire lives,” Ward said. “To get around, they take the subway or train everywhere.

“They’ve said if you try to drive in Moscow, you may be at a redlight for an hour since there are so many people out walking.”

For the team, it’s been a successful start for Brenau after winning its first seven games of the season, before losing its last outing against the University on Mobile on Dec. 4. The Golden Tigers have already been on two long road trips together this season, which Bays says only helps with making the new members feel more comfortable with the team.

“We’ve designed things to make them feel welcome here and to be a part of the team,” Bays said. “It just takes a lot of time.”