CEDAR CITY, UTAH -- The SUU Women's Basketball team battled all season long and ultimately reached the quarterfinals of the WAC Postseason Tournament despite a slow start to the year.
The Thunderbirds won five of their final seven games to finish the year 9-21 and 7-10 in conference play. "We found our stride late in the year, but I am so proud of how this team fought through the whole season," said Head Coach Tracy Mason.
Fifth-year senior guard Daylani Ballena led the Thunderbirds in scoring this year. Starting all 30 games for SUU, Ballena averaged 11.6 points per game and was tied with Samantha Johnston at 84 assists.
Sophomore forward Ava Uhrich wasn't far behind Ballena in scoring, averaging 10.5 points per game on 48% from the field while also pulling down five rebounds per game. Uhrich is an extremely talented player who works really hard to be successful and was instrumental in the Thunderbirds' success this season.
Johnston is another fifth-year senior who made incredible contributions this season and in her career. She led the team with 56 made three-pointers and was third on the team with 19 blocks.
Ballena and Johnston cemented their legacies in SUU history and are littered throughout the history books.
SUU Career Records
Daylani Ballena
Points - Third all-time (1,534)
Assists - Third all-time (465)
Field Goals - Second all-time (550)
3-PT Field Goals - Fourth all-time (134)
Games Played - Second all-time (138)
Minutes Played - First all-time (4,327)
Samantha Johnston
3-PT Field Goals - First all-time (264)
Games Played - First all-time (140)
Minutes Played - Third all-time (3,870)
Blocks - Sixth all-time (81)
"The winning culture that Sam and Dayla established here is something that will live on for years to come. They have been phenomenal leaders on and off the court, and I have no doubt that all of our seniors will accomplish many great things in life," said Coach Mason.
Sydney Gandy, Lexi Bull, and Jaeden Brown are the three other seniors who substantially impacted the program. Gandy and Bull played in all 30 games for SUU, and Brown played in 28. Even though they each only played one season with the Thunderbirds, their impact on the community and the Women's Basketball program will forever be appreciated.
Jaeden Brown has a remarkable personal story that you can read here.
Looking Ahead
"We have an amazing group of young players ready to come in and work hard. We had an excellent group of seniors, so our younger players didn't see the floor as much as they normally would have, but they are very talented and will be an exciting new challenge," said Coach Mason.
Sierra Chambers was a freshman who did make an impact. In the season opener at the University of Utah, Chambers was the top Thunderbird on the floor, scoring 15 points on 4-8 from the floor and a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line. Chambers played in all 30 games for SUU, including one start.
Kortney Doman was another freshman who appeared in all 30 games and had many impressive moments. Her best game of the year was against Cal Poly, in which she scored 13 points, including two made three-pointers, four rebounds, and four steals. Doman is a high-energy player who loves the defensive aspect of the game.
The Southern Utah Women's Basketball team won't look like most people are used to seeing. Losing five seniors is a lot, and when you include two players who have been with the program for five years, it seems like even more. But Head Coach Tracy Mason is excited for the future. "It's always challenging to lose good players, but I am really excited about our young group. They learned a lot from our leaders this year and are ready to follow in their footsteps," said Coach Mason.
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