Texas State didn’t get much of a non-conference slate this season but head coach Zenarae Antoine was thankful just to be playing at all.
By this point last season, the Bobcats had logged a dozen non-conference games, holding a 7-5 record heading into Sun Belt play. The team had seven games scheduled for the start of the 2020-21 season but, after two cancellations, only played five and now have a record of 3-2 heading into conference play.
Antoine sat down to watch the Texas and Colorado football teams face each other in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Tuesday. The Longhorns beat the Buffaloes handily, 55-23. Antoine knew Texas had a good program — the team finished their season at 7-3. But she couldn’t help but wonder if the final score would have been closer had Colorado, which finished its season at 4-2, matched the Longhorns in game experience.
“If (the Buffaloes) had more game reps, more time to work on that, would it be different?” Antoine said.
It’s a question the head coach will likely wonder at times throughout this year. Prior to the season, Antoine had watched a good amount of film on the Oregon women’s basketball team and wanted to implement some of their concepts onto her own team.
Those plans were scrapped when both the start of training camp and the regular season were cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A lot of time had to be devoted to getting the players back in shape and preventing soft tissue injuries.
Now with five games under their belt — less than half of what they’re used to — the Bobcats have a feel for their style of play and what it takes to win games. But the familiarity between players and the routine of the rotation is nowhere near where it usually is when Texas State begins taking on Sun Belt teams.
“In the situation where you have teams that have played more games than you, had more opportunity to play, they've got more game experience and that's huge considering on our team, we have only three players returning with real game experience,” Antoine said. “So I think trying to figure out a way to bridge that gap within practice and then through strategy is so important for all coaches going through COVID because you just don't know what the future holds.”
Since the maroon and gold’s last game, a 69-53 home victory over Lamar on Dec. 19, the team has mainly focused on itself in practice. The Bobcats currently boast the best defensive mark in the conference, allowing just 57.6 points per game. And the team is around the middle of the pack in the league giving up 19.6 turnovers per game.
But 14.8 of the points Texas State allows per game, roughly 25.7% of its average, come directly off of turnovers it commits, putting strain on the defense. It’s something opponents can pick up on as they scout the Bobcats’ game film and one thing, among others, Antoine has stressed during the break that they need to correct.
“Honestly, we worked on both sides of the ball,” Antoine said. “Probably more defense than offense but just those small things that we recognize are going to make a difference in conference play, I think, was really important for us to work on.”
The team begins conference play this weekend hosting Louisiana (1-4) on Friday and Saturday, both games taking place at 4 p.m. inside Strahan Arena. Antoine said the Ragin’ Cajuns’ record is “not at all” indicative of the type of team they are. She noted how upperclassmen-heavy the roster was and how close the contests between the two schools typically are — both of last season's games were decided by six points.
But after nearly a two-week break from basketball, the head coach and her players are excited to return the court and continue bridging the in-game gap that's difficult to replicate anywhere else.
“We're cautiously optimistic,” Antoine said. “As you see games being canceled, it's really important as a coaching staff, we just keep them focused on the scout. You know, good or bad, it's not going to be the first time that we've had game cancellations and we've had to prepare. And so keeping them focused on the scout I think has really helped them and so they are really excited. They're excited about the opportunity.”
