After COVID-19 postponed two Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference games, Schreiner University women's basketball team is headed back out on the road starting Saturday for games in Houston and Colorado Springs.
The Mountaineers are 2-2 in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, which has dealt with plenty of disruption from COVID-19 — again. Only two teams have played six games of the women's schedule — Dallas and Centenary.
Schreiner plays St. Thomas at 2 p.m. on Saturday before heading out Sunday for a Monday game at Colorado College. At 2-2, the Mountaineers have posted wins against Southwestern and close losses against Texas Lutheran, including Tuesday's 70-64 defeat in Kerrville.
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With just three players returning with significant experience from previous teams, the Mountaineers have used defensive mayhem to stay in games. Frequently utilizing a full-court press, Schreiner forces 11.5 steals per game. However, shooting has become an issue, with the Mountaineers averaging 33% from the field.
In back-to-back wins against Southwestern, the Mountaineers shot a woeful 30% from the field but still managed to win. Now, Schreiner heads out onto the road, where the Mountaineers are just 1-5.
However, they face two teams that are a combined 3-5. St. Thomas is next-to-last in the conference standings, while Colorado College is one-game up on the Mountaineers.
After a slow start, Demauria Miles has been a dominant force for the Mountaineers. |
After a slow start, Schreiner first-year guard Demauria Miles emerged as the team's leading scorer after the last few weeks. She's still behind seniors Josline Hernandez and Gabby Ivarra overall, but Miles has scored 10 points or more in eight consecutive games and nine of her last 10. Miles didn't score a point in her first three games when she saw 26 minutes of action and was 0-for-4 from the field.
Since then Miles has been on the Mountaineers' best players, but she's also getting help from first-year players Nariyah Buggs, Rodneyshia McMillian and sophomore Aazayleah Pirtle.
ON THE MEN'S SIDE
Amid an impressive five-game winning streak, Schreiner University's men's basketball team is off this weekend before returning to action on Jan. 21 by playing host to Colorado College. The Mountaineers will face their St. Thomas on Jan. 22
The Mountaineers swept the two teams on the road earlier this season — a turning point, men's coach Marwan Elrakawaby said. The current streak is the longest since 2019 when the Mountaineers made a late-season push to win five straight.
St. Thomas is the defending conference champion, and Colorado College has been a perennial thorn to the Mountaineers. Schreiner will get both teams at home, which hasn't been an exactly friendly shooting backdrop for the Mountaineers.
In Tuesday's win over Texas Lutheran, the Mountaineers were just 1-of-14 from 3-point range — at home. In SCAC play, the Mountaineers average 5-of-20 performances each night from 3-point range. That's not a winning formula.
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And finally, here's the stat of the day for the Schreiner hoops program. Under coach Elrakawaby, the Mountaineers have played in 33 games decided by 10 points or less. Schreiner is 12-21 in those games but they account for 57% of the games the Mountaineers have played in the last three seasons.
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