USD Coach Blanche Alverson Builds Around Guards Ray, Owens for Second Season

University of San Diego women's basketball coach Blanche Alverson enters her second season with a clear plan: lean on a backcourt she considers the strongest in the West Coast Conference while her frontcourt develops. The Toreros open Monday at New Mexico State, then host UC San Diego on Nov. 7 in the Bill Walton Classic at Pechanga Arena.

Alverson's first season at USD ended with an 11-22 record, short of the turnaround she wanted. She said the groundwork was still there. "Our approach was solid," Alverson said. "Our players stayed connected. The chemistry was good. I thought we laid a foundation."

The backcourt returns intact. Junior guard Kylie Ray averaged 15.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season, led USD in scoring, and shot 89.4% from the free-throw line, the best mark in the WCC. Sophomore Olivia Owens, a 5-foot-10 guard, earned All-WCC freshman honors after averaging 11.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. She also led the team in assists, steals and defensive rebounds, and posted 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists against Washington State. Alverson called Ray "an electric scorer" with a high basketball IQ who "lives in the gym." She added, "They are the engine that could keep us going. And we have depth behind them. We have a total backcourt."

The frontcourt is where the roster thins out. Kiera Pemberton, a 6-foot-1 senior who transferred from Baylor, and Sammie Wagner, a 6-foot-1 graduate transfer from Oregon, are slated to start. Eva Ruse, a 6-foot-2 junior who averaged 5.5 points and 5.7 rebounds, and sophomore Braelynn Barnett, a transfer from Georgetown, are also expected to see time. Alverson acknowledged the group is untested at the college level. "We're unproven," she said. "But we feel we're putting the right pieces on the floor." Senior guard Lauren McCall returns after missing all of last season with an injury. USD lost guards Hallie Rhodes, who averaged 10.8 points, and Jayden Rhodes, who averaged 2.8 points.

The schedule includes road and home games against major-conference opponents: Nov. 17 at Arizona State, Nov. 21 against UC Irvine, and Feb. 27 against Santa Clara. Alverson said the group is focused on its identity. "I think we could be something special," she said. "We're focused on who we are becoming." The Nov. 3 opener at New Mexico State is the first test of that plan.