The women’s basketball team split the games in their second-to-last road trip of conference play when they visited Southern Utah University and Utah Tech University last week. The Wildcats lost by three to SUU but beat UTU by 11.
Head Coach Julie Goodenough said the bounce-back effort from her team was very admirable and very encouraging to see.
“This is not a team that gets down. They show a lot of resilience,” Goodenough said. “They were super frustrated and disappointed with how poorly we shot on Wednesday. And they just got back to the gym and worked.”
Meredith Mayes, sophomore center from Bixby, Oklahoma, said a key difference between the two games in Utah was the team’s communication.
“After the Southern Utah game, we talked about what we need to do as a team,” she said. “I think a big change was coaching each other on the floor because we talked about how we need to take coaching well and also coach our own teammates well.”
Mayes was the team’s leading scorer in each game with 21 against SUU and 24 against UTU, matching her career high. She said she has seen herself become more involved as the season has progressed.
“I’ve been a lot more active on the floor offensively because I think I would watch more,” Mayes said. “Then after the GCU game, I realized that I needed to be doing more and involving myself more on the offensive end.”
Mayes has had three double-doubles in her last seven games, which she attributes to her urgency on the court.
“I think the big thing is I have a lot more urgency for the ball, and that goes wanting the ball offensively and then wanting it off of a rebound,” she said.
Emma Troxell, sophomore forward from Bushland, has been another key piece for the Wildcats this season, especially during the stretch with injuries and illness. For every game, her mindset is one of wanting to give to her team and play for everyone.
“I’m going to go do what I can do. I want to help the team,” Troxell said. “I’m going to play my role and hopefully turn it around.”
Troxell has taken 20 charges this season to lead the team, and she said defensive plays like taking charges can shift momentum quickly, just as much as big offensive plays can.
“I think all your energy comes from the defensive side and making big plays like charges or getting a steal,” she said. “I think that gets your team up and it transfers to offense.”
The team’s defense will have to step up for what will most likely be a physical game against Tarleton State University, according to Goodenough.
“I think just knowing they’re going to be really gritty, pressure defense, not like the last three games we’ve had,” Goodenough said. “We’ve got to change our mindset. You know, we’ve got to be strong with the ball. We can’t have careless turnovers.”
In the last matchup against the Texans, Troxell hit five threes. She said this may not happen again as the defense will probably be tighter, but she still hopes to have an impact.
“I don’t know if I’ll get as many open threes. I’ll definitely try to find other ways to score and contribute to the team.”
The Wildcats will return to action against TSU at 6 p.m. Thursday as part of their last home weekend of the season.
