Lady Texans poised to take next step

LEVELLAND, Texas—Take the next step.

The South Plains College women's basketball team will be looking to do just so when they play host to West Texas Drive at 8 p.m. on Nov. 2 during 'Meat the Texans' night at the Texan Dome in Levelland.

2016 marks a new chapter for second-year head coach Cayla Petree, who is optimistic about the future of her program, and what new faces and a new year can mean for the future of the Lady Texans.

"The girls had a great off-season and have been working really hard, and we're definitely ready to play," Petree said. "We're just excited to try and build on what we did last year, and try and lay the foundation of what we are trying to do. We play in one of the toughest leagues in the country, so every night in conference play will be a battle."

The Lady Texans will return two of their leading scorers from last season in Elizabeth Cera and Yanina Inkina. Cera, a 5-foot-8 guard from Levelland was the leading scorer for the Lady Texans, averaging 12.8 points per game, and broke the school record for most 3-pointers in a single game with 12 against Frank Phillips on Feb. 1.

Inkina proved to be a threat from the perimeter and inside the paint during her freshman season, averaging nearly eight points per game while shooting 46 percent from the floor. The 6-foot-1 sophomore from Belarus expects to pick up where she left off last season, and holds high expectations for the Lady Texans in 2016.

"We are so ready for this season, and we are definitely expecting big things from our team," Inkina said. "We have been working so hard every day, and we hope it is going to help us this season. We have more experience this season, which will help us with teams like Midland and New Mexico Junior College."

Coach Petree and staff were able to add new pieces during the off-season, including Jasauen Beard, a 6-foot-1 sophomore guard transfer from Oral Roberts University. Beard has already taken to a leadership role for the Lady Texans, and believes this team has what it takes to reach the next level.

"The first thing I wanted to do was help add some leadership to the team," Beard said. "Because when I was getting recruited, that was the biggest role coach Petree wanted me to play. I just want to try and bring some intensity to this team, and be someone who can attack from multiple positions."

After a fourth place finish in WJCAC play a season ago including a birth to the NJCAA Region 5 tournament, the Lady Texans look poised to transition to an elite program, and do more than just compete in one of the toughest conferences in the country.

"We have a good sophomore class because of how young we were last season, and those players got significant minutes, and we're hoping that experience will help them," Petree said. "Jasauen Beard transferred in from Oral Roberts, and she provides us with an inside-outside threat and will be able to play multiple positions on the floor.

"Yanina Inkina is finally healthy and has really developed her outside shooting skills, so she will be able to find some mismatches with her size and skill. We signed a lot of freshmen who are very competitive, and they are adjusting to the speed and physical play of college basketball. We're really optimistic about the next few months, and it's going to be fun."