“We feel like we’re ready for a breakout year,” said UMHB coach Kim Kirkpatrick-Thornton, who guided the Lady Crusaders to the American Southwest Conference tournament in each of her first three seasons. “We have a really good core of kids back and they know our system.
“We’ve stayed in the same range the last three years. We were grateful to be in that fourth-place spot (in the ASC West Division) those years, but we’re ready to break out of that. That’s one of our goals. We feel like we have a chance to contend for the championship.”
In its final test before opening conference play this weekend, UMHB will host Trinity at 7 p.m. today at Mayborn Campus Center.
The Lady Crusaders (0-1), who dropped their season opener 57-53 at Southwestern, feature the West’s Co-Preseason Player of the Year in sophomore post Landie Thompson as part of a group of 10 letter winners and four starters back from last year’s 15-12 team.
Thompson averaged 15.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game as a freshman and hopes to build on those numbers in her second season.
“It was a nice honor to get, but I still have to go out and perform,” she said. “Last year, we got better as the season went on. Hopefully this year, we can just pick up where we left off.”
The only key member gone from last year’s team is guard Blair Heitmiller, a four-year starter whose outside shooting helped loosen things up on the inside for Thompson.
Without Heitmiller on the floor, Kirkpatrick-Thornton will look to sophomore Jenny Black, senior Mallory McAdams and junior Caitlin Barganier - a Temple College transfer and former high school standout at Academy - for points from the perimeter.
“Jenny can shoot outside and can take it to the hole if she gets just a little room,” the fourth-year coach said. “Mallory can shoot it some from the outside, although her best shot is the pull-up off the dribble. And Caitlin can shoot it, if she has room. But she’s such a great passer that she’s always looking to pass.”
Those three - plus returners in senior Janel Daniels, juniors Jessica Kelly, Courtney Wolfe and Stacie Urbina, and sophomore Carly Johnson - should see time at both guard spots.
Returning on the inside along with Thompson are juniors Kallie White, Kellie Thomas and Stacie Stephens.
“I think we are quicker and faster than last year, and we’re hoping that we can press a little more this season,” Kirkpatrick-Thornton said. “This is a close-knit and very unselfish group. They mesh really well together.”
