After missing last season due to an injury in the SLC tournament, former 2023 First-Team All-Southland Conference player Alexius Horne has reestablished herself as one of the best forwards in the SLC. 

This season is her farewell, as she intends to help her team win the SLC tournament and increase her chances of going pro next season. 

Horne began her collegiate career in 2019, averaging 9.5 points per game and finishing third in the SLC in assists. She would finish the 2019-20 season as the first player at Southeastern to earn the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year award. 

An injury forced her to miss most of the 2020-21 season. When she returned the following season, she only averaged 4.6 points a game in the regular season. However, her outstanding performance in the SLC tournament earned her a spot on the Southland All-Conference tournament team. 

Next season, she averaged 12 points per game to secure her spot on the Southland All-conference First team. Her excellent 2023 campaign included dropping 28 points against LSU in Baton Rouge.

That season came to an abrupt end when she suffered a knee injury in the SLC tournament semifinals against East Texas. The injury sidelined her for the 2023-24 season, and it was uncertain whether her performance would be the same when she returned.

While she missed the 2023-24 season, Horne said support from teammates and coaches helped her push through recovery. She said their encouragement inspired her to keep her head up during a rough stretch.

“It was mostly a mental struggle, but staying focused and having a great support system helped push me through my ups and downs,” Horne said.

After missing the entire last season, she’s shown no signs of regression from her injury. At the beginning of the season, she scored 60 points against FBS schools. She continues to dominate against conference teams with a 48% shooting percentage.

“I love the game of basketball and I was motivated to come back to play with my team. I felt like I couldn’t stay down, and keeping that in my head helped me keep pushing forward,” Horne said.

In the first week of conference play, she put up 23 points against Texas A&M Corpus-Christi and helped the Lady Lions stay on top of the SLC. 

“She’s very competitive and she never lost that from her injury. Her work ethic is ten times better and she wants to win for her teammates and herself,” Head Coach Ayla Guzzardo said.

 Horne saw the injury as another challenge; she says it’s extra motivation on her way to the WNBA and loves to make a comeback.

“[The injury] gives me extra motivation to be there for my team and go pro,” Horne said.

So far this season, she’s been setting herself up for a bright future in women’s basketball. This is the best season of her college career, as she averages over 15 points a game, shooting a career-high 50% from the field.

Show your Lion support to Horne as she navigates her final season with the Green and Gold. You can watch the Lady Lions on ESPN+ or listen to them on 90.0 The Lion. Visit The Lion’s Roar for more information and coverage on Southeastern sports.