Senior overcomes death in family, injuries

Moving from another country wasn't the only challenge senior guard Baiba Eglite had to overcome. Losing her mother, while being thousands of miles away, has been a wound that basketball has helped her heal.

"At first it was hard, but I was just trying to stay busy and not let myself down. I tried staying positive and thinking that everything happens for a reason that something bigger is coming," Eglite said. "That's why I just focused on basketball, school and graduating so I can make my mom proud, because that's what she wanted."

Eglite transferred from Riga, Latvia in 2008 after playing for the national team and competing in the under-18 and under-20 European championships. She was forced to sit out her freshman year due to NCAA transfer rules.

Head coach Keitha Adams considers Eglite one of her best shooters and team players and perhaps an even better person. A few days prior to the Feb. 9 64-56 home win against Marshall, Adams made her admiration for Eglite known during practice.

"Today before we started practice, I called her over and I wrote something on my practice sheet and I showed her," Adams said as she pointed to the note. "I'm proud of her. I told her that today."

On top of sitting out her freshman year, Eglite tore her ACL in the summer of 2010, which forced her to miss the team's first 19 games. Eglite attended summer school that year, which was when her mother passed.

"She is one of the strongest people I have ever been around and her attitude is so positive. You can just watch her. She's always got a smile on her face, she's got a really good spirit about her," Adams said. "She's a strong young woman and she's a great teammate...She'll do whatever we need for her to do."

Adams said that Eglite's personality will help her be successful in life beyond basketball.

"I just love her to death and that's why I'm proud of her. I think a lot of her and she's going to be real successful in life," Adams said. "She's smart, a great student and a hard worker. There's not a negative thing I can say about her."

Eglite's teammates also have high regards for her. Junior forward Kristine Vitola, who also transferred from Latvia, said she's enjoyed having her as a teammate.

"It's been good. It helped a lot, especially communication wise and getting to know the place at first," Vitola said. "I think she's very helpful and she's trying to do things the right way. She's always very positive."

Eglite is thankful that her teammates have stayed with her through tough times and have helped her keep a positive attitude.

"They were very supportive and I knew they would have my back and whenever I would feel bad or sad, they would talk to me," Eglite said. "They didn't let me down, they would keep me positive."

Eglite has seen increased playing time as of late, which Adams attributes to her shooting skills.

She is averaging just under six minutes per game coming off the bench and is one of the team's best three-point shooters, averaging 36.7 percent from behind the arc. The average is third best on the team behind senior forward Gloria Brown and sophomore guard Kelli Willingham.

"I just do my job and what everyone is expecting from me is to shoot the ball and when teams are playing zone or whenever I have a chance, that's my game," Eglite said.

Daniel Ornelas may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.