The 2020-2021 UTRGV women’s basketball season is only 10 days away as they open up on the road against Texas Tech on Nov. 25 after eight months off the hardwood.
In an offseason that has been marked by the COVID-19 pandemic which has led to many changes in how the team operated over the summer, the entire program counts down the days to game day.
Senior point guard Amara Graham shares her excitement for a safe return to the court.
“With all the [COVID-19] stuff, it was so much uncertainty not knowing whether we would have a season, how the season would go but now that the schedule is out, we’re [10] days away I think it’s very exciting right now,” Graham said. “The jitters are coming, it’s even just more fun to know we got a BIG12 opponent our first game. That’s big for us. It’s just getting very exciting.”
Practicing and playing collegiate basketball is no small feat in the middle of a global pandemic.
However, women’s basketball alongside the rest of the athletics department must follow NCAA and UTRGV COVID-19 guidelines.
For UTRGV women’s basketball COVID-19 protocols include:
— Wearing face coverings that cover mouth and nose and practicing proper social distancing when not participating in practices or competitions;
— Undergoing daily temperature checks;
— Frequent sanitization of high traffic such as the weight room, training room and victory center and;
— COVID-19 testing will be conducted a minimum of three times per week throughout the season.
Although other UTRGV Athletics programs have had positive tests of COVID-19, UTRGV women’s basketball, according to head coach Lane Lord, has not reported a positive test as of Nov. 6 and will continue to “knock on wood” and follow protocol to keep it that way.
“So, definitely an adjustment period for all of us but I tell you what, our players have been just unbelievable since they’ve been back,” Lord said. “They’ve followed all the university protocols, they been staying safe and we’ve been able to have about 48 practices up to this point with the whole team, without losing anybody at this point and that’s because they’ve done such a good job following the athletic protocols”
Graham added that the team understands that following the protocol set by the NCAA and the university is the only way to have a season.
She also said that not producing a positive COVID-19 test result allows the team to develop on-court chemistry with new players to the program.
The team’s six new players are a mix of incoming freshmen, transfers students from JUCO programs and a DI transfer:
— Freshman guard Arianna Sturdivant from George Bush High School in Richmond, Texas;
— Freshman forward Brianna Sanchez from Edinburg High School;
— Junior transfer forward Jessica Martino from Labette Community College;
— Sophomore transfer guard Jena’ Williams from The University of Nevada, pending her eligibility status to play in the upcoming 2020-2021 season, according to Lord;
— Junior transfer guard Jordan Lewis from Grayson College and;
— Junior transfer Afiya Vincent from Colby Community College.
Coach Lord explained that the transfers bring a lot of athleticism to the line-up but highlighted the two freshmen, Sturdivant and Sanchez..
“We have two freshman that we’re really excited about too and Amara can attest to this, I think Amara is the best shooter in our league, she’s led the WAC two year in a row in three-point shooting percentage, we have a freshman Ariana [Sturdivant] that can really shoot the basketball and we’re excited about the future that she can have here at UTRGV,” Lord said. “We have a local product in Brianna Sanchez that… she’s 6’2, you watch her in the Valley in high school and we thought she had the opportunity to help us down the road, but I think she can help us this year too. Provide depth in the post with [Burcu Soysal] and [Sydney Cajero] but been very, very impressed with Brianna.”
This year’s team will not be returning six players to the program due to transferring and graduation and 10 players have returned for another season with UTRGV women’s basketball
Transfer players include:
— Mia Paz transferred to Southwestern University;
— Trelynn Tyler transferred to Prairie View A&M University and;
— Ashlei Lopez transferred to Arkansa Tech in Division II;
Spring 2020 graduates:
— Jordan Agustus;
–Zhane Templeton and;
–Megan Johnson.
10 players have returned for another season with UTRGV women’s basketball:
–Senior guard Amara Graham;
–Senior forward Iva Belosevic;
–Senior guard Valeria Tapia;
–Freshman guard Payton Hicks;
–Junior center Burcu Soysal;
–Freshman guard Mallory Gibson;
–Sophomore guard Tiffaney McGarity;
–Sophomore guard Halie Jones;
–Sophomore forward Sydney Cajero and;
–Sophomore guard Sara Bershers.
Yet the departure and additions in the program are not only amongst the players but the coaching staff as well.
Former UTRGV associate head coach Anna Nimz is now the head coach at Northwestern State University in the Southland Conference and former assistant coach Blake Huber is now the assistant coach at Arkansas Tech in Division II.
Graham explains that although she understands the moves are a casualty of the business of basketball, she is proud of both Nimz and Huber on their new opportunities.
“I mean, I was pretty hurt about it,” Graham said. “I’m sure a lot of my teammates were too, about Coach Nimz and coach Blake [Huber] leaving us but at the same time we have to understand that this is all a business and they’re leaving to better themselves and… Coach Nimz is a DI coach now, you know, it’s better opportunities for them so at the end of the day we just have to understand that we still keep the same relationships that we had with them, whether they are here or not.”
The new additions to the coaching staff include associate head coach Kevin Hackerott and assistant coach Keanna Keys.
Lord says both Hackerott and Keys have adjusted well to the Rio Grande Valley and are expected to add a lot of experience to the program as they look to content for a WAC championship and earn strong victories in their non-conference schedule that includes:
— @ Texas Tech on Nov. 25;
— @ UTSA on Nov. 30;
— vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Dec. 2 at Bert Ogden Arena;
— @ Texas Southern on Dec. 5;
— @ Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Dec. 8;
— @ Kansas on Dec. 14;
— vs. Prairie View A&M on Dec. 18 at South Padre Island as a part of the South Padre Island Classic;
— vs. UT Arlington on Dec. 19 at South Padre Island as a part of the South Padre Island Classic and;
— vs. Incarnate Word on Dec. 21
Despite facing two BIG12 schools, some things never change for Graham as she explains that the rivalry with Texas A&M Corpus Christi runs deep and is more exciting to face the Islanders than both Texas Tech and Kansas.
“I think the most exciting one for me is going to be the Corpus game,” Graham said. “Just ‘cause of the history we have with them every year and where we are going to play it at.”
For coach Lord, the Kansas Jayhawks is the matchup he is most looking forward to as he returns to his old stomping grounds of Kansas where he coached for ___ years before coming to UTRGV in 2018.
“You guys know I’m from Kansas, Coach Hackerott is from Kansas, [Coach] Ipek played in Kansas, I coached her there in Kansas so we have a lot of ties in Kansas and we’ll have [a] big crowd following UTRGV,” Lord said. “That’s the game… the coach there [at Kansas] I’ve known [for] a long, long time we coached against each other nine years in MIMIA Division II. He’s a fantastic coach, he’s done a great job, we’ve had some great battle over the years with his school at Emporia State and now he’s at Kansas so that’s the game I’m circling… not only to have the most fun but just to see a lot of family and friends as well.”
The WAC conference schedule will be different from past years as teams will be playing double-headers on back-to-back nights.
According to Lord, UTRGV will have an easier draw than many within the conference as they will face Utah Valley, California Baptist and New Mexico State at home who were ranked in the WAC Preseason Coach Poll to finish first, second and fourth in the conference.
The UTRGV WAC Conference Schedule is as follows:
–vs. Chicago State on Jan. 8;
— vs. Chicago State on Jan. 9;
— @ Dixie State on Jan. 15;
— @ Dixie State on Jan. 16;
— vs. New Mexico State on Jan. 22;
— vs. New Mexico State on Jan. 23;
— @ Grand Canyon on Feb. 5;
— @ Grand Canyon on Feb. 6;
— vs. California Baptist on Feb. 12;
— vs. California Baptist on Feb. 13;
— @ Seattle U on Feb. 19;
— @ Seattle U on Feb. 20;
— vs. Utah Valley on Feb. 26;
— vs. Utah Valley on Feb. 27;
— @ Tarleton State on March 5 and;
— @ Tarleton State on March 6.
Coach Lord and Graham are eyeing their two home games against conference rival New Mexico State on Jan. 22 and 23.
Both are looking to run the table this year in the conference after being picked fifth in the WAC Preseason Coaches’ poll.
At the end of the day for both Coach Lord and Graham, they reiterated that the key to a successful season is to continue following COVID-19 protocols and power through what is about to be the strangest year of college basketball.
For the UTRGV men’s basketball season preview, visit utrgvradio.com.
For Vaquero Radio, I’m Luis Rubio.
