This Week in Rattlers Basketball
vs Colorado School of Mines • Friday, November 8 • 3:30 p.m.
vs Regis • Saturday, November 9 • 1 p.m.
A New Year, A New Team: St. Mary's Women's Basketball embarks on its 48th year of competition in 2024-25 and will have a very new look to it with 11 newcomers on the 14 player roster. The only returners to the team are senior Stina Svilberg and juniors Sheridan Kavanagh and Sian Phipps.
History with Colorado School of Mines: The Orediggers hold a 3-2 lead in the all-time series that started back in 1997, but took a 19-year hiatus, as the two teams didn't meet again until 2016. Colorado School of Mines has won the last three meeting, including an 81-68 decision a year ago in Golden. This will be the fourth straight year the Rattlers and 'Diggers will meet in the opening week of the season.
Scouting the Orediggers: Colorado School of Mines has been chosen fifth in the RMAC Preseason poll. They finished 21-9 a season ago and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year. The team returns 10 players and adds four newcomers. Junior Jenna Siebert was an honorable mention all-RMAC selection a year ago after averaging 10.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
Connections: Colorado School of Mines redshirt senior Olivia Lee played her first two years at Western New Mexico. In 2021-22, she scored three points, had six rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots in 21 minutes against the Rattlers in a 59-47 StMU victory.
History with Regis: The Rangers hold a 2-1 edge in the all-time series that started three seasons ago. The Rattlers won 77-74 in 2022 at Bill Greehey Arena and dropped a 69-62 decision a year ago at Colorado School of Mines. Sheridan Kavanagh scored 10 points with two assists and two steals last season.
Scouting the Rangers: Regis was picked one spot behind the Orediggers in the RMAC Preseason poll, garnering sixth place. The 14 player roster boasts three seniors and five freshmen. A season ago, the Rangers advanced to the NCAA Regionals, where they were knocked out by UT Tyler, after winning their second straight regular season championship in the RMAC. Regis finished 26-6 overall, and returns Athena Saragoza, who was an All-Conference Second-Team pick a year ago after averaging 13.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
Season Openers: St. Mary's is 28-19 all-time in season openers and 8-6 in games on a neutral court. This is the third time in the last four years the Rattlers have opened the season against Colorado School of Mines, with the Orediggers winning both. The last time the Rattlers started the season on a neutral court was in 2021 at Regis against CSM.
Preseason Poll: With a bushel full of new players, the personnel in the Lone Star Conference who vote on the preseason polls were unsure what to make of the St. Mary's University Women's Basketball team, predicting them to finish 13th in the 2024-25 race. Texas Woman's, the reigning LSC Tournament and season champion, has been selected to repeat this season.
Third Time's The Charm?: Valerie Huizar begins her third season as the Head Coach of the Rattlers, and is looking to make some waves in the always-tough Lone Star Conference. She brought 11 newcomers to the team, with six freshmen, three Division I transfers and two JUCO transfers.
International Flavor: The 14 players on the 2024-25 roster represent six different countries in Australia (2), Brazil, Canada, Estonia, Spain (2), and the United States (6) and all six from the US hail from Texas.
Heating Up: Lone senior Stina Svilberg ended the 2023-24 campaign on a hot streak, scoring in double figures in each of the last five games, including a career-best 18 in the team's 68-63 win over St. Edward's to end the year. In those five games, she raised her scoring average 1.5 points per game to 6.9 and her rebounds per game up to 4.0 per contest after bringing down at least five in all five games.
A Quick Look at the Schedule: With 16 teams in the Lone Star Conference, the league will 22-game schedule, where teams play each team in their division twice and the teams in the other division once. The Rattlers are in the East Division with Cameron, Oklahoma Christian, St. Edward's, Texas A&M International, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Texas Woman's and UT Tyler. The top eight teams will qualify for the LSC Tournament, happening March 5-8 in Frisco, Texas. Division winners will automatically qualify for the tournament but are not guaranteed a top two seed.
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