Senior forward Alex Bowman shined with the first double-double in her career, scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds on Jan. 18 against Sul Ross State University. Since transferring to UTD, she has dominated the court and claimed Athlete of the Week recognition three times.
On Nov. 13 2023, Jan. 8 2024 and Jan. 22 2024, Bowman received Athlete of the Week for outstanding performance in her games, one of which was her major contribution to the Comets’ victorious 69-55 match against SRSU. Bowman said she is looking forward to the Comets’ last year playing in the ASC conference.
“It’s finally nice to be appreciated and have people see the fruits of my labor and all the hard work I’ve put into this,” Bowman said.
Bowman said her drive for playing basketball is her siblings; she is the eldest sister and wants to create an example for what it means to be successful and have someone to be proud of. Bowman she has overcome anxiety through playing the sport, as basketball helped her build confidence and gain a sense of achievement.
“It just helps me be successful and kind of guide me through life,” Bowman said. “And I’ve learned so many things throughout my career that I’ll be able to take with me through the rest of my life and into my career professionally.”
Bowman described her play style as calming. She said that when teammates become overwhelmed on the court, she helps them focus so they can still execute plays.
“It’s taking it in … what’s going on with the defense, seeing your open teammates, seeing if you have an open shot or you can drive to the basket for a layup,” Bowman said. “Just really taking in what you’re seeing and making quick decisions and not getting too carried away and trying to go fast.”
Bowman’s most memorable game was the 2021-22 ASC Conference championship in Marshall, Texas where UTD played against University of Mary-Hardin Baylor as a tiebreaker. Shortly after winning the match, Bowman made the All-Tournament team.
“She hit a monster shot in the fourth quarter to send them to overtime, and they ended up winning in overtime,” said Joseph Shotland, head coach of the women’s basketball team.
UTD’s sports teams will transition to the Lone Star Conference in Division II, meaning this is their last year to compete in the ASC. Bowman and her team are now on the way to this goal, having defeated the University of the Ozark 60-46 on Jan. 24 and 78-51 on Jan. 27.
“There’s a lot of pride on the line, and we just really want [to win], and it means a lot to us because we want to repeat and go back to the championship,” Bowman said. “We’re taking it one game at a time, not trying to get ahead of ourselves.”
Despite being a transfer student from Blinn College, Bowman said she is doing her best to balance her academics and basketball career at UTD thanks to her time management skills. Bowman tries to practice for at least 30 minutes every day and then study for her classes until late in the night. On the court at UTD, she knew she would still perform well even though she transitioned to a more competitive division.
“Coming from a junior college to Division III, it was different, but I knew that I would be able to do well, and I was excited,” Bowman said. “It was rough at first, but it’s definitely smooth sailing now.”
Shotland said that he is proud of Bowman’s growth throughout the season and that she is improving with making correct reads on game strategies. Shotland also said Bowman goes with the flow of the game without making interruptions.
“She doesn’t allow the highs and lows of the game to take her away from doing the things that make her great … she’s an exceptional player,” Shotland said.
Shotland said he has noticed the effort Bowman puts into the team and said she is one of the “big time players” on the court.
“I say [hardworking] knowing that there are a lot of people that go through the motions and all sorts of things, and Alex is not one of them,” Shotland said. “Alex really squeezes each day for everything. It’s worth her sacrifices for this team and we’re just proud of her.”