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AUSTIN, Texas – As Concordia Texas enters a new era in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, the women’s basketball team is ready to take on the challenge. CTX, led by head coach Matt Wallis who is entering his 12th season, returns six rotation players and 11 newcomers (six transfers).
roster outlook
The Tornadoes return a trio of veterans with more than 20 games of experience with the team a year ago in Haven Hames, Deisha Tijerina and Sam Issing.
Haymes, a forward from Sparta, Missouri, will return as the team’s leading rebounder for the 2023-24 season. Tijerina played in all 24 games and started 11, regaining the most continuity. She will also look to continue being efficient from beyond the arc as she returns as the team’s top shooter, making 30 threes at a 35% clip.
Ising had 19 blocks in his freshman campaign and is expected to be a force in the paint again. Also returning to CTX are Abby Ordonez and Olivia Dummer, who appeared in 10 games last season before being injured.
Coach Wallis worked hard in the transfer portal and was able to land six transfers, including two familiar faces in Destiny Matthews and Kiki Gonzalez from the American Southwest Conference. Matthews is a graduate of McMurray University and a four-time ASC All-Conference award recipient. Gonzalez is a junior at Hardin-Simmons University and started 55 games for the Cowgirls, averaging 8.3 points and 6.1 rebounds.
The Tornadoes also strengthened their guard with Ellie Haas and Alice Wilkinson providing support and depth in the backcourt. Haas is a JUCO graduate from Portland Community College who has played in 42 career games over the past two seasons, while Wilkinson is a transfer from the University of Minnesota, Morris.
Click here to view the full 2024-25 roster.
Schedule outlook
The Tornadoes have a 25-game schedule this season, kicking off their regular season and non-conference schedule with a home game against Lewis & Clark College on Nov. 10. This will be their only home game of the calendar year, as they won’t play at the Fieldhouse again until Jan. 2 against Howard Payne.
The non-conference schedule is highlighted by a trip to Forest Grove, Oregon, where they will play Pacific University (Nov. 22) and Linfield College (Nov. 23) in the Ken Schumann Classic. They will then conclude their trip to the Northwest with a matchup against Pacific Lutheran University on Nov. 25. Non-conference games also include five matchups against former ASC foes Howard Payne (twice), LeTourneau (twice) and UMHB.
CTX was projected to finish 10th in the SCAC. Conference play begins with four consecutive road games against Schreiner University on January 10th. The first home game in the conference will be against Schreiner on January 24th. The final game of the regular season will be a home game against Texas Lutheran University on February 23rd. The SCAC Women’s Basketball Tournament will be held from February 28th to March 2nd at a venue to be determined.
Click here to view the entire 2024-25 schedule.
To stay up to date with the CTX women’s basketball program, follow us on social media (@ctxathletics) and visit althetics.concordia.edu.
