For two seasons, the St. Edward's women's basketball team hardly resembled the program head coach J.J. Riehl built that posted winning seasons in five of the previous seven seasons, including an 18-11 record in the team's inaugural Lone Star Conference year.
Basketball is a game of choreographed improvisation, and the pandemic stalled the Hilltopper's momentum, tearing at the ties that glued together a well-oiled machine by limiting practice repetitions and imposing other restrictions.
"We've struggled the last two years [during the pandemic]," fifth-year center SAMMIE DUFEK admits. "But we're a good group of women who've found the positive in bad situations."
When St. Edward's takes the court for its season opener against the Colorado School of Mines in San Antonio, it will do so with something it hasn't had the luxury of in quite some time: stability.
"The biggest thing is it's been a long time since we've had so many returners," says head women's basketball coach J.J. Riehl about a roster that returns four of its five starters from a year ago. "The strength of this team is our level of connection. We believe in who we are, where we come from, and where we want to go. It's easier when you have so many people coming back. There's a better foundation to build on as far as our relationships."
Dufek is the Hilltoppers' longest-tenured player, having started in 79 of the 102 games she's played. The team's defensive anchor is the program's all-time leader in blocks with 190, holding three of St. Edward's top six individual blocks seasons, including the single-season record of 59 set during the 2019-20 season.
"It's not very often you get to spend five years with someone, and Sammie is as high-caliber as you can find," Riehl says. "I'm doing everything I can to help Sammie go out on top and leave her legacy on this program."
Dufek spent the summer lifting and working on expanding her offensive capabilities in preparation for her final season.
"I did a lot of shooting and lifting, working on having a more consistent role on offense," Dufek says. "I know on defense I'm going to get my job done, so offensively, it's about being more of a threat. Then getting to the [conference] tournament and winning every game we can."
The Hilltoppers return starting guard LAUREN CATHERMAN and forwards MORGAN GARY and MCCALL HAMPTON. Catherman was the team's leading scorer at 11.5 points per game, hitting a team-high 30 3-pointers at a 31.3 percent clip and supplementing her scoring with a team-high 44 steals.
Gary was the team's leading rebounder (5.6 per game) and an excellent secondary source of playmaking, averaging 9.8 points per game and finishing second on the team with 53 total assists with powerful, downhill drives supplemented by explosive spin moves. Hampton filled the gaps with some work all over the box score.
"There's a lot to be excited about because they're all playing at a high level," Riehl says. "And they're being pushed by everyone else and competing every day. So every practice, we go out with a high level of competition, and it's great to see their passion grow every day."
The team also welcomes back rotational mainstays ISABEL LANGENBERG, MATILDA SORIC, and RONNIE CANTU, alongside AINSLEY THUNELL, DAFNE GIANESINI, and BELLA MUSCOREIL. They're joined by newcomers Mikah Chapman, a versatile first-year, and Jayda Ruffus-Milner, a graduate transfer from Pepperdine.
"The great thing is they mesh well and have the same value systems as our returners. They work hard, have fun, are grateful, and want to leave things better than they found them," Riehl says. "For us, success is dictated by our value system and how well we stay committed to them."
Helping instill those values are a pair of new coaches who've lived them—St. Edward's added former players Khiani Clark and Shakera Barnes to the coaching staff over the summer.
"There's a greater sense of optimism and better relationships, which has translated to better play on the floor," Riehl says. "I think the biggest thing is having fun, and we're figuring out how to do that. A lot is going on in the world that made that difficult at times, but there hasn't been a day [this season] that hasn't been fun."
The women were voted No. 11 in the Lone Star Conference preseason polls, though Riehl and the Hilltoppers aren't keeping a close eye on the standings.
"Getting back to the conference tournament would be big, but I'm not a defined by wins or losses coach," Riehl says. "If we do what we're supposed to, the results will work themselves out."
For two years, enough has been out of the Hilltoppers' control to see reliable results. But with most of its starters intact and a few familiar faces on the bench, St. Edward's is hoping it can look like its old self again.
