Last season was a struggle for the UTPB women’s basketball team.
Head coach Rae Boothe doesn’t want those same issues this season.
“We were competitive in a lot of games,” Head coach Rae Boothe said. “Sadly, we ended up on the losing end more than the winning end and really within the last minute of a lot of games.
“We were right there,” Boothe continued. “We were competing, but we just couldn’t get over the hump.”
The Falcons finished 8-20 overall in 2021-22 (4-12 in Lone Star Conference play).
Boothe and her staff hit the recruiting trail in search of athletes to help flip the script.
“I think we lacked depth last season, honestly,” Boothe said. “I think that’s been an area of focus for our recruiting.
“So, I think we have depth now and hopefully we can flip those Ls to Ws and it’d be a lot better.”
Boothe stressed that several players, including her top point guard, played heavy minutes last season, and the depth in the recruiting process has helped during the off-season.
“(Avalon Munoz), who’s our point guard, she played close to 40 minutes a game (last season),” Boothe said. “We now have three point guards to fill in behind her.”
Boothe has seen a lot of growth among every player.
“All of our returners have improved immensely,” Boothe said. “They’re all healthy.
“Our three transfers have been great,” Boothe continued. “Andrea Mancha, Naomi Pierce and Aryiel Gordon have all been great and our freshmen are learning quickly, so it’s going be fun to see to see how good this team can be.”
As for the Falcons’ expectations for this coming season, Boothe wants to not look ahead too far.
“(The expectations) are to get better every single day,” Boothe said.
Munoz echoed that same comment.
“We’re trying to make history by getting better every day,” Munoz said. “So, we’re just leaving this place better than we found it.”
Boothe emphasized the studious nature of the team.
“They’re self-sufficient,” Boothe said. “They’re fun to coach, they get after the ball, they work hard, they take care of each other. So as a team, as a culture, as a family. They get it.”
Realistically, Boothe hopes the team pushes for a playoff spot in the Lone Star Conference.
“Our goal is to make the tournament and the road’s harder than ever before, as only eight teams make the conference tournament, but we believe we have a group that can do that,” Boothe said.
The Falcons run a strategic screening and cutting-based system to get the most out of each player.
“Offensively, we want the game to come to us,” Boothe said. “We want our players to be the best version of themselves, through basketball and through our system.”
Defensively, the Falcons employ a variety of looks.
“We play a lot of different things (on defense),” Boothe said. “We run some zones, some trap zone, some man, and we also have a press.
“We like to mix it up,” Boothe continued. “We want teams to have to prepare for what we do defensively.”
Boothe also appreciates the camaraderie among her players over the past several months.
“I would add this is the closest team I’ve had since being here,” Boothe said. “We’re very, very close.
“And I think that’s a testament to our returners and their commitment to our program and to each other. We’re excited to get the ball in the air on Friday,” Boothe said.
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