AUSTIN, Texas – The Concordia Texas women's basketball team returns to the hardwood with strength, boasting 11 players from the previous year's roster, and will open their season on Friday as they face off with cross-town rivals Southwestern.
 
After playing a shortened, conference-only schedule in the 2020-21 season, the Tornados will play a full schedule once again, beginning with a non-conference matchup against the Pirates. Concordia Texas enters the upcoming season with a wealth of experience, that includes 11 returners, and a strong roster that is ready to take the floor.
 
The American Southwest Conference Preseason Poll tabbed the Tornados to finish eighth, receiving 92 total points. Meanwhile, No. 2 East Texas Baptist was the pick to win the conference, followed by UT Dallas and Hardin-Simmons, respectively.
 
On the ASC Preseason Players to Watch List, Madi Maxwell, Natalie Velardez, and Havyn Perez represented the Tornados. The trio highlights a strong junior class that returns with two years of experience in CTX's starting five.
 
Maxwell returns to the hardwood with an ASC First Team selection to her name, ending the 2020-21 season as the fifth-leading scorer in the conference after posting 14.4 points per game. The Wichita Falls, Texas native finished in double figures in eight of ten games and she was the second-leading rebounder on the team, grabbing 5.7 boards per game. She was dangerous behind the arc, shooting 36.8% from 3-point land, and recorded 23 steals, the fifth most in the ASC.
 
Velardez, a member of the 2019-20 ASC All-Freshman Team, was the second-leading scorer for the Tornados with 9.3 points per game. The junior guard also contributed on the boards, grabbing four rebounds per game, and converted from the free throw line at a 93.3% rate.
 
Perez orchestrated the Tornados' offense from the point guard position, averaging 6.7 points and 3.7 assists per game. The Seminole, Texas native also defended well on the perimeter, averaging a steal per game, and grabbed 4.3 boards per game on the season.
 
Additionally, Falyn Taylor and Allie Garza, the Tornados' two returning seniors, bolster the strength of CTX's experienced roster.
 
Taylor transferred to Concordia Texas after a three-year stint at St. Edward's, making an impact in her debut season. The guard provided valuable minutes off the bench, making four starts as well, and added another 3-point threat to the offense. Taylor shot 35.6% from behind the arc on the season, and she turned in her best performances of the year down the stretch, posting 16 and 18 points in the final two games of the season, respectively.
 
Garza is entering her fourth year as a member of the CTX program, providing her best season to date as a junior. The Houston Christian High School product averaged 4.6 points and two rebounds per game, shooting 31.6% percent from deep and giving the Tornados another shooter to space the floor.
 
Chelsea Cogborn adds to the returning strength of the Tornados, adding a low-post presence to the squad. After missing time due to injury as a freshman, Cogborn returned and started every game for the Tornados as a sophomore, posting 5.6 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds per game. The junior forward also made an impact on the defensive end, averaging 0.8 blocks and 1.6 steals per contest.
 
The Tornados will open the season with a home-and-home against Southwestern, playing the first game in Concordia Fieldhouse on Nov. 5 and then traveling across town for a contest in Georgetown, Texas.
 
Following this, CTX will play another home-and-home with Texas Lutheran, hosting the Bulldogs at home on Nov. 12 and playing again in Seguin, Texas on Nov. 27, and they will host Southwestern at home once again on Nov. 30, concluding the three-game series between the two teams.
 
Next, the Tornados will open ASC play at home, hosting Ozarks on Dec. 2, and will travel for a two-game road stint at Hardin-Simmons and McMurry before returning home for a matchup with UT Dallas on Dec. 18.
 
On Jan. 15, CTX will travel to Marshall, Texas to face off with preseason No. 2 East Texas Baptist, followed by a matchup with Mary Hardin-Baylor at home on Jan. 18.
 
The Tornados will play a four-game stretch on the road, beginning with UT Dallas on Feb. 3 and concluding with Howard Payne on Feb. 12, and will close out the regular season with two home games against No. 2 East Texas Baptist and Belhaven on Feb. 17 and Feb. 19, respectively.
 
Concordia Texas will look to return to the ASC Tournament after missing last season, as the opening round will begin on Feb. 24.
 
The 2021-22 season will tip off on Friday as the Tornados host Southwestern at 7 p.m. in Concordia Fieldhouse.