KINGSVILLE, Texas — The campus of Texas A&M University - Kingsville is quiet with most students home for the holidays. However, the noise and energy remains high within Javelina Women's Basketball Team practice.
The ladies are working hard to straighten out their 4-7 record, 0-4 in the Lone Star Conference to start the season after many difficult tests.
“We’ve started the season with a really tough schedule. We got some pretty tough teams that we came against and I think that’s going to help us later in the season,” Senior point guard Mia Rivers said.
Rivers is one of the many returning talents to the team. She was an all-conference third team selection last season.
That team reached the quarterfinals in the Lone Star Conference (LSC) Tournament, had four all-conference selections, making it the best season for the Javelinas since 2010.
Georgia Ohiaeri is also back after an all-LSC third team selection.
Returning to lead on the court as well is Senior Jayde Tschritter, a conference honorable mention in the 2022-2023 season.
These three ladies were the top three point scorers last season.
Tschritter, the former Flour Bluff Hornet, said the team just needs some time to mesh before taking off.
“Finding that grove of playing togetherness. We brought in some new players. We have a lot of talent, like I said and once we get all playing together, a lot of chemistry it’s going to be really good,” Tschritter said.
“I think one of our biggest challenges right now is consistency," Head Coach Michael Madrid said." We’ll have one good quarter followed by five bad minutes. If we can slowly start putting some consistency together, I think we’ll start seeing a whole different turnaround.”
Madrid is in his fifth season leading the program.
In the big picture of Madrid’s tenure in Kingsville, he’s been building that consistency. He’s added wins each year going from four, to eight, to 17, to 18.
It’s building off each year’s momentum that propels them further.
“When Coach Madrid first brought in his recruiting class, which me and Mia Rivers were a part of, we kind of got to build the culture that you want to see here in Kingsville," Tschritter said. "And, each year whoever we bring in we hold to that standard and it’s just continuing to try and build that culture and continue to win.”
“Everybody talks about wanting the right culture. Were at a point now where our players understand the standard and the expectations. As new players come into our program, they can kind of tell them, hey this is the way we do things and this isn’t the way we do things,” Madrid said.
The upperclassmen believe the pieces are there. The pieces to reach more wins and make a deeper post season run.
“I think right now it’s all about us. It’s not who we’re playing. It’s within the blue and gold jerseys. It’s just working together and playing together,” Rivers said.
"That's the ultimate goal, everyone wants to make it as far as you can. Especially as a senior, being your last year or maybe one more year, but you want to win. That's the biggest thing," Tschritter said.
The Javelinas are hitting the road for their next match up at Texas A&M International University on Saturday. They will return for a home game on Jan. 4 against St. Mary's at 5:30 p.m.
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