BELTON, Texas- The 2021-22 UMHB women’s basketball roster has been released, as the two-time ASC tournament champions gear up to defend their title this season.
The roster features nine returners from last season, along with four transfers and 13 true freshmen. Head coach Mark Morefield’s team was picked to finish fourth in the ASC Preseason Poll, released last Wednesday.
Below is a roster breakdown, highlighting some of the notable returners, newcomers and departures on the 2021-22 UMHB women’s basketball roster.
THE BACKCOURT
The Returners
At the guard position, UMHB brings back several experienced upperclassmen, including seniors Bethany McLeod and Alexia Martin. McLeod started 19 of the 21 games she played in last season, averaging 21.3 minutes per game. She tallied 6.4 points along with 2.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds per contest, shooting an impressive 45.3 percent from the field. McLeod is a quality ball handler who at times last season served as the Cru’s primary ball handler on offense. Martin played in 20 games, starting seven, and averaged 4.4 points per game. Sophomore Cheyanne Bonilla is another guard who is expected to contribute significantly on both ends of the floor. The Horizon City, Texas native stepped up during the second half of last season, ending her first collegiate season having played in 21 games, with 3.9 points and 1.4 assists per game. She also shot 63.6 percent from the free throw line. Bonilla is another quality ball handler that the coaching staff can rely on to run the offense.
The Newcomers
The Cru added two transfers this offseason in junior Kenidi White and freshman Kamryn Martinez. White played at ETBU last season following two years at McLennan Community College, playing in 23 games, with 5.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. She is versatile, with the ability to play either the 2 or the 3 position on the wing. Martinez saw action in three games for Austin College last season, scoring three total points for the ‘Roos.
The freshmen class also includes several talented guards. Arieona and Ariele Rosborough are both sharpshooters from Southwest Christian School in Fort Worth, as they led SCS to consecutive TAPPS 5A State titles. Coming out of high school, Arizona was ranked No. 27 and Ariele No. 91 in the Class of 2021 out of Texas by Premier Basketball Report. Abry Odom is another perimeter threat on UMHB’s 2021-22 roster, as is Audrey Postula, from Lumberton, Texas.
The Departures
The Crusaders lost point guard Madison McCoy and guard Brooke Elliott to graduation following last season. Elliott started 18 games, serving as UMHB’s primary ball handler in a majority of those, and tallied 5.2 points per game. She also led the team in free-throw percentage (min. Five attempts), at 73.2 percent. McCoy was held back by an injury for much of the year, playing in just seven games. She averaged 5.2 points and 2.0 assists in limited action. A’Lexiss Benton, who started six games, opted to end her career due to injuries.
THE FRONTCOURT
The Returners
Kaitlyn Kollmorgen, named to the ASC’s Preseason Watch List, enters her sophomore season following a strong finish to her freshman year. The Houston native stepped up in the second half of last season, including a season-high scoring performance (15 points) in the Cru’s ASC tournament semifinal win over Hardin-Simmons. A post player, she averaged 3.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as a freshman. Another sophomore who is expected to contribute is forward Ashley Faux, also named to the Preseason Watch List. Faux is a strong defender who saw action in all 21 games last year, averaging 4.8 points per game and seeing increased playing time as the season progressed. The Cru has plenty of depth at forward and on the wing, as junior Olivia Champion returns after starting 10 games last season, averaging 6.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Meagan Johnson, also coming off her freshman year, played in 17 games a year ago, shooting 63.2 percent from the field in limited action.
The Newcomers
The coaching staff brought in two transfers to aid in the depth at the post position, considering the team lost three key upperclassmen (see below) following last season. Sophomore Catherine Kaiser comes to Belton from D-II St.Edward’s in Austin, where she played two seasons. The Kerrville, Texas native averaged 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game in a limited role, playing just 6.6 minutes per game. Jayden Widener is the Cru’s lone JUCO transfer of the offseason, coming from Southeast Community College (Lincoln, Neb.), where she was an all-conference selection as a sophomore. The sophomore (Similar to D-III, all NJCAA players earned an additional year of eligibility) shot 40 percent from the field, averaging 10.9 points per game.
The freshmen class includes 6’0 post Aja Holmes, a phenomenal scorer who nearly averaged a double-double as a senior at Luling High School (20.1 PPG, 9.0 RPG). Versatile wing Sarah Monday is another notable newcomer, as she has the height at 5’10 to play in the post, but is incredibly accurate from three-point range and is a solid ball handler. Wing Lily Guevara has a similar skill set, and is extremely good as a rebounder.
The Departures
Forward Hannah Eggleston, the only player to start all 21 games last season, is the most notable departure for the program, considering she played just one full season in Belton, and was only a sophomore a year ago. Degree requirements did not allow her to return this season. The Magnolia, Texas native averaged a team-high 9.7 points and 6.4 rebounds last year. Taylor Kollmorgen, a graduate student last season, has also finished her collegiate career, having played four seasons at Houston Baptist, before spending last year in Belton. Kollmorgen led the team in blocks (17) and averaged 7.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Allaira Jones transferred to LeTourneau after playing in 16 games in 2020-21, starting six of them. Jones tallied 7.9 points and 7.3 boards per game.
UMHB opens the season by hosting a four-team tournament in Belton Nov. 5-6. The Cru plays Rhodes at 8 p.m. CT on Saturday, and faces Trinity (TX) on Sunday at 4 p.m. CT.
