AUSTIN, Texas – The Concordia Texas women's basketball team will return to the American Southwest Conference Tournament for the 10th time, competing as the no. 7 seed and opening the tournament with a quarterfinal matchup against East Texas Baptist on Thursday.
 
The Tornados secured the no. 7 seed with a victory in the regular season finale over Belhaven, marking two wins in the team's final three games. Concordia Texas wraps up the season with a 9-16, 7-13 ASC record on the year.
 
The Tornados draw the no. 2 seeded Tigers, who are hosting the tournament in Marshall, Texas, for the opening game of the week. The two teams met twice this year and East Texas Baptist came away with both games, the last coming on Feb. 17.
 
Havyn Perez and Natalie Velardez highlight the veteran leadership of the team, hoping to lead the Tornados on a run and win the first ASC Tournament game for the program since 2018.
 
Perez posted team highs with 8.7 points and 2.9 assists per game, both scoring and running the offense as the Tornados' point guard. The junior has marked double-digit points in 10 games this year, including a 20-point performance down the stretch in a must-win game at Howard Payne on Feb. 12.  
 
Velardez has put together an impressive season, averaging 8.4 points and a team-high 7.4 boards per game.  The Levelland, Texas native has been a defensive anchor for the Tornados, leading the team with 37 steals, and has been to the free-throw line in bunches and shot an efficient 84.9%.
 
Fayln Taylor and Erin Toro, a pair of graduate seniors, provide more leadership and experience on the floor.
 
Taylor, a transfer from St. Edward's, has the ability to fill the stat sheet from beyond the arc. She poured in 22 points in the Tornados' win against McMurry on Jan. 27, shooting 4-of-9 from deep and lifting CTX to an 11-point victory.
 
Toro has been a steady contributor throughout the year, turning in five games with double-figure scoring and averaging 6.5 points per game. The Southwestern transfer started 24 of CTX's 25 games, providing consistent play in the starting lineup this season.
 
Additionally, Chelsea Cogborn and Mikayla Johnson fill out the Concordia Texas rotation with solid play off the bench.
 
Johnson provides another 3-point threat for the Tornados, shooting 34.2% from deep on the season. The freshman can catch the hot hand at any time, her latest example coming at Howard Payne on Feb. 12 when she posted 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point land.
 
Cogborn is a presence on the low block, grabbing three boards per game and swatting a team-high 12 shots. Her scoring has increased in volume down the stretch of the season, averaging 7.5 points in her last ten games.
 
Concordia Texas will begin its postseason campaign on Thursday, traveling to Marshall, Texas and squaring off with tournament East Texas Baptist at 7:30 p.m.