RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The 2020-21 season was definitely unlike any other but The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros women's basketball team was determined to make the best of it despite the uncertainty. 
 
"I am glad we got through the season," UTRGV Head Coach Lane Lord said. "With so many starts and stops with COVID-19, everything was so uncertain. We were able to finish the year and that is what I am most proud of. It was a tough year on everyone. With so many stops and starts, we had some injuries and we didn't have a chance to gel as a team but I am really excited about the experience we did get with our younger players and how that will carry over to next season."
 
The uncertainty of the season really tested the Vaqueros' depth and grit as 12 players played in 10 or more games this season, three of which averaged more than 30 minutes played per game in Amara Graham, Sara Bershers, and Jena' Williams. 
 
Bershers was part of the incoming group from the previous season that included Halie Jones, Tiffany McGarity, and Sydney Cajero and then you add in this year's freshmen class of Brianna Sanchez and Arianna Sturdivant and this group of young players got a lot of experience this season. 
 
The Vaqueros saw glimpses of the potential from the underclassmen and coach Lord and his staff liked the benefits of them getting to play more and more this season.
 
"Those four freshmen from the year before got some serious amounts of minutes," Lord said. "You really saw that big step from Sara as she ended making All-Conference for us. She was healthy the second half of the season and really played well in conference play. She was a player that we relied heavily on. Tiffany had a 25 point game and she showed flashes of what she can do. Sydney started a couple of games for us after not playing much as a freshman and got the experience that she needs. Halie Jones was looking to have a year like she did as a freshman and really worked hard to get back to where she knows she can be."
 
Bershers earned All-WAC Honorable Mention honors after averaging 13.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. After battling injuries throughout her freshman season and for the first half of this season, Bershers hit the ground running after her first start at Southern Utah on January 17. 
 
Bershers recorded 10 double-figure scoring games, including a career-high 25 points against California Baptist while also recording her first double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds against Seattle U. 
 
"She didn't start playing this year until January, so this is her freshman year even though she is a sophomore," Lord said. "Having her healthy for the first time, you can just see the confidence grow in her as the games went on. She ended up averaging almost 14 points per game in conference play and six or seven rebounds. You can see she is going to be a special player for us."
 
Another component of the uncertainty was the question of how many games will be able to be played, whether it be certain restrictions in different states or cities or having to shut down because of COVID-19 itself. 
 
UTRGV saw nine games get canceled this season and had to adjust on the fly. It was in those times that the Vaqueros were tested, and coach Lord was proud of how the whole team handled themselves. 
 
"I think one of the things I am proud of is that three different times we had 14 day breaks," Lord said. "We then come out and practiced one day and then played back-to-back nights. Our kids went out there and showed guts and determination to be able to do that. The number one team, California Baptist, we played them tough here at home. Grand Canyon and Utah Valley, who finished second and third, we were right there in those games. We showed a lot of courage and a lot of fight. We gave ourselves a chance to win games. You have to take some positive thoughts on that for sure."
 
When mentioning positives of the 2020-21 season, one has to think about Amara Graham, who wrapped up her career with the Vaqueros. 
 
Graham led the team in scoring with 16.5 points per game and was selected to the All-WAC Second Team. Graham also became the eighth player in program history to record 1,000 career points. 
 
For all the uncertainty that was in 2020-21, one thing was for sure, and that was Amara Graham was going to give you everything she had. 
 
"I think she was consistent for us this season, like she has been for the last three or four years," Lord said. "She was a consistent 40 percent three-point shooter. She was a consistent double-figure scorer and an all-around team leader. We expect that from her being a veteran player and she gave us everything we could ask for."
 
Each season provides learning moments for on and off the court and the 2020-21 season was no different. 
 
Life comes fast and can be taken away just as quick, as the UTRGV community learned with the sudden passing of UTRGV men's basketball Head Coach Lew Hill. 
 
That loss hit close to home for Coach Lord and the Vaqueros, and it was a somber reminder of being mindful of the life and legacy that you want to have.
 
"The whole Lew Hill situation was tough on everyone," Lord said. "The one thing we will remember is that Coach Hill is a special man, and we will never forget him. I think it's important that we never forget him, always keep his family in our prayers and in our thoughts and live like Coach Hill in peace and love."
 
There is a saying that says beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While the season may have been one for the ages, the Vaqueros will definitely take the positives and build off them for the future. 
 
Sometimes it is all about perspective. 
 
"You can take it two ways," Lord said. "You can feel sorry for yourselves, or you can really grow on the experiences you do have. We did a lot of things well last year despite the pandemic and that is what we have to focus on. We have to focus on the positives and not consume ourselves with the negative. We have to take the positives and grow from them."
 
The Vaqueros made the best out of the 2020-21 season and they will definitely benefit from it moving forward.

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