The women’s basketball team ended this year’s season by winning against North Central ending their season with 15-10 record. There were several members from the team that gained letters and awards throughout this successful season. Senior Torie Allen, gained many awards in her final basketball season at Augie, receiving the Jack Swartz Award, the Viking Award, and MVP. Sophomore Alexis Jones, also tied for MVP and received the Defensive Player of the Year and Rebound Award. Sophomore Mia Lambert won the award for Most Improved Player.
Allen and Jones reflected on their personal and team successes during this year’s season.
“My greatest success was when I scored 28 points against Elmhurst, the #4 ranked team in the conference. It was a very important game and I was able to step up for my teammates. However, the greatest success was the growth we made as a team this season,” Allen said. “We had several girls who did not have any varsity experience prior to this season and they worked hard and were able to have a positive influence on the team. Playing a college sport is not just about the physical aspects, but also the mental and I think the team became much more “mentally tough” by the end of the season and this will only benefit the team in the future.”
Jones similarly said,
“The greatest success we had was finally finding what our roles were on the team and finally learning how to play together and how to push each other to work harder. This season, we only had one senior which means that our team was very young and inexperienced and I think towards the end of the season we learned that even though we’re young we can still compete at a high level.”
Jones also expressed her feelings about winning her awards.
“Initially, I felt immense pride to see that all the work I’ve put in over the past two years has paid off. I’d have to thank my teammates for pushing me to play to my fullest potential and believing in me throughout the season. I feel honored to play with and for an amazing group of girls. Receiving these honors only solidifies in my mind the point that you aren’t anything without great teammates to back you up. I would also like to thank the coaches for pushing me to take control and to be a leader on and off the floor. These awards show that with hard work and a great support group the sky is the limit,” Jones said.
Allen showed similar appreciation for the awards she earned.
“It is an amazing feeling to be selected for those awards. Those awards are voted on by my teammates and my coaches and to know how much they appreciated my role on the team is huge. As a senior, it means a lot to see that my hard work and dedication to the team and the sport was worth it and valued,” Allen said.
With their appreciation comes the support from their team and coaches and Allen and Jones only have high hopes for next year’s season.
Allen said, “The team has a very strong class of current juniors, who have played significant minutes and who have put in the time and effort to be their best selves and I think they are more than ready to lead the team to success. In addition to that, we have several underclassmen who improved significantly this year, and I expect them to continue to grow as players and have positive impacts on the team in this upcoming season.”
Jones said similarly, “First and foremost, I hope to see a conference championship under our belt and an NCAA Tournament appearance. I’m very excited for next season to start because I know that the team is putting in work and getting ready to be a whole new Augie Ballers squad come next fall. I think everyone should be excited about next season because I know it will be a record-breaking one.”