By Moses Leos III.
There are those who say first impressions mean everything.
Former Lehman girls basketball coach Danny Preuss needed just one to see how special former Lady Lobo BriAnna Garza was.
“I knew she was going to be a great basketball player,” Preuss, who now coaches at Hays High, said. “You could tell she had God given talent to be the best that she could.”
Since then, Garza, who finished her final season as point guard for Baker Univeristy in Baker, Kan., has taken her career to new heights.
Baker University point guard and former Lehman Lady Lobo BriAnna Garza cuts down the nets after helping lead Baker to it’s first conference title in 30-plus years. (Courtesy photo) |
In March, Garza was named third team All-American in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) after helping lead Baker to its first NAIA tournament in 34 years.
She was also tabbed as the Heart of America Athletic Conference Player of the Year, along with gaining Academic All-American status.
Her self-motivation provided the basis for her success. That was apparent on the court in Lobo Gym.
Preuss took note of Garza, who excelled in just about every phase of the game. Her biggest improvement happened during her junior and senior years. He challenged Garza to become a more assertive leader.
“I think her presence got a little better all the time,” Preuss said. “She put her team on her back when we needed her to step up.”
Her ability to play well made waves – evident by a rare quadruple-double Garza accomplished during her high school career.
While she commanded the floor, Garza still recognized how much her teammates meant to her. It’s a lesson she took to heart while in college.
“It taught me to appreciate my teammates and the role of being on the team,” she said. “I didn’t really feel like a leader; I didn’t try to be one. It was known through my teammates.”
Her talent helped her gain All-Centex honors from the Austin-American Statesman in consecutive years. The biggest asset was the ability to continue her career at William Jewel College in Missouri.
However, her career hit a speed bump at William Jewel. Garza made the decision to leave, opting to continue playing junior college in Oklahoma.
Her play there got the attention of several schools, including Baker. Several reasons fueled her decision to attend Baker, including the psychology program she wanted to major in.
The prestige of the program, along with the desire of head coach Ben Lister allowed her to make the choice.
“[Coach Lister] is all about the school and has a winner’s mentality,” Garza said. “I could tell by his voice and his comments about his program of what he wanted.”
For the next two seasons, Garza honed her skills on the court at Baker.
She immediately noticed the higher level of play from her teammate – a trait rarely experienced by Garza.
However, Baker College narrowly missed the 2013 tournament, due in part to a new roster. She took it upon herself to become the leader, helping her team gel on the court.
“Before this season started, I got this fire in my soul,” she said. “I said this was going to be the year. If I’m going to leave anything, I want to make sure this is it.”
Garza exploded in 2014, leading Baker in scoring with 14.6 points per game; she led the HAAC with 4.59 steals per game.
Stats are secondary to Garza. The ability to lead her team to not only the NAIA tournament, but also past a long time rival meant much more.
“I told my mom it felt just like beating Hays, and then some,” she said. “It was one of those [games] where both teams played so hard.”
Seeing Garza succeed wasn’t a surprise for Preuss. He knew her determination and confidence could spur her forward.
However, the now head girls basketball coach at Hays High must settle a bet with Garza – getting her jersey retired at Leh-man High.
With her playing career behind her, Garza looks toward the future. She plans to return for a fifth year as a graduate assistant at Baker; she then hopes to study abroad in England.
Continuing to work hard, no matter what continues to drive her.
“There’s no better feeling than to work for something and achieve it,” she said.
