Reed realizes potential, drops 18 in season-opener

Jaeda Reed was almost unrecognizable.

The Lawton, Oklahoma native only saw the court 21 times her freshman season, averaging just 2 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.6 minutes per game. She cracked double-digit points once, scoring 12 in a home game against South Alabama on March 3, but otherwise never played enough to make a meaningful impact.

But there she was Tuesday night, rising off the bench in a darkened Strahan Arena, the last player to hear her name called during the inaugural starting lineup ceremony of Texas State’s 2019-20 season. And there she was scoring the team’s first points and fulfilling head coach Zenarae Antoine’s promise to establish an inside presence. And there she was shattering her career-high and leading the Bobcats with 18 points in a 72-31 win over Texas Lutheran (0-1).

“Jaeda got the (starting) nod because she's been working her butt off,” Antoine said. “Jaeda stepped up in a big, big way. And I think she deserves the opportunities that she got on the floor and she proved that when she was out there.”

The 6-foot-1 sophomore won the opening tipoff, then hustled down the hardwood to set up on the right side of the lane. Sophomore point guard Kennedy Taylor brought the ball up and received a screen from sophomore forward Da’Nasia Hood before darting to the left elbow. Reed’s defender inched across the key, freeing Reed up underneath the basket. Taylor jumped to make the pass to Reed and the center laid the ball in off the glass to take a 2-0 lead.

Reed spent the rest of the period setting screens, thundering to the rim, planting her feet in the paint and hitting loopy layups. Talent has never been an issue with Reed, but her conditioning last year didn’t allow her to stay on the court for significant stretches of time. The sophomore bucked that trend Tuesday night, staying on the floor for 8:04 of the first 10 minutes, the most playing time in any quarter of her career.

The post’s extended stay resulted in a 14-8 lead for Texas State and a team-high six points for Reed by the end of the first.

“I know for sure I can give more,” Reed said. “And that's what I'm striving for, to get in better shape and better basketball shape and being able to stay in even longer and contribute more to the team throughout the season.”

The sophomore ran into foul trouble in the second and third quarters, limiting her to just two points over the stretch. But as Antoine began pulling starters in the final minutes of the game, the head coach sent Reed back in.

The Bulldogs tried doubling her. They tried triple-teaming her. At times, the entire the entire defense crashed around her. It didn’t matter. Reed was hot and she knew it, lighting up Texas Lutheran for another 10 points.

“My confidence was there,” Reed said. “Talking to my teammates and multiple coaches throughout the week and them just telling me like, 'Hey, you know you do this, so just go out there and do it.' And it just helped my confidence so much.”

Holle’s noticed the change in Reed’s demeanor this offseason.

“(Reed’s confidence has grown by) leaps and bounds,” senior guard Brooke Holle said. “She doesn't even look like the same player in regards to her confidence in herself. And she's not all the way there. I think she could be more confident in herself. But that's just something that's going to take time and love from her team. And so that's what we're going to give.”

Reed finished the night with six rebounds to go along with her 18 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Holle and Taylor tied for second on the team with nine points each.

Antoine stressed the importance of finding ways to score from the inside during the preseason to counteract the lack of perimeter shooting on this year’s team. The Bobcats averaged 23.2 points in the paint last season. They scored 46 on Tuesday.

And if Reed continues to find her confidence, it could be the new norm.

“She's got to work through some things that — she's just a sophomore. It's her first game of her sophomore year, right?” Antoine said. “There's eight freshmen and sophomores on this team and she's one of that crew. So, I'm really proud of what we saw. That's the Jaeda that we know in practice that y'all are just getting to see.”

Texas State (1-0) will head to Tulsa, Oklahoma to take on Oral Roberts (1-0) on Friday at 5 p.m.