SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas – The Lady Mavs will head to South Padre Island to close out the non-conference portion of the 2020-21 schedule at the South Padre Island Classic (Dec. 18-19). UTA will face UNT (Dec. 18) and UTRGV (Dec. 19) during the event and both games will tip-off at 4 p.m.

Games during the event will not be open to the general public. UTRGV students that have reserved a ticket, UTRGV season ticket holders, and families of student-athletes and coaches will be the only spectators allowed inside the Convention Centre to ensure proper social distancing.

Matchup: UNT (2-1) vs. UTA (2-1)
When: Friday, December 18 | 4:00 p.m.
Where: South Padre Island Convention Centre | South Padre Island, Texas
Live Stats | Live Video (WAC Digital Network)

Matchup: UTA (2-1) vs UTRGV (3-2)
When: Saturday, December 19 | 4:00 p.m.
Where: South Padre Island Convention Centre | South Padre Island, Texas
Live Stats | Live Video (WAC Digital Network)

UP NEXT
UTA will go 14 days without a game and then open up SBC Conference play and the new year with a weekend series with Little Rock at College Park Center. The Lady Mavs and Trojans will face-off Jan. 1 (1:00 pm) and Jan. 2 (4:00 PM).

NUMBERS TO KNOW
14 - The Lady Mavs opened the 2020-21 season on Nov. 25 and had to wait 14 days to play again due to COVID-19 related cancellations
4 - Due to the program's positive COVID test result on Nov. 25, the Lady Mavs have canceled four games (Nov. 29, Dec. 2, Dec. 6, Dec. 8) this season

NCAAWBB IG TAKEOVER
The UTA women's basketball team will take over the NCAA Women's Basketball Instagram on Friday, Dec. 18. Follow the Lady Mavs via Instagram @NCAAWBB & @UTAMavsWBB.

COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID-MAJOR TOP 25
The UTA women's basketball team earned 12 votes in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll that was released on Tuesday, December 15.

UTA is one of four Sun Belt Conference schools to appear in the Mid-Major Poll this week, along with Troy (No. 25), Little Rock (RV, 24) and Coastal Carolina (RV, 1).

Missouri State held down the top spot in the poll (29 first-place votes; 766 points), while Gonzaga took the No. 2 position. South Dakota (665 points), FGCU (663 points) and Central Michigan (602 points) rounded out the top-five.

The CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top-25 is now in its 11th season of existence. The Mid-Major Poll is made up of teams from the following conferences: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, West Coast, and Western Athletic and is voted on by a panel of 31 coaches.

NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Lady Mavericks averaging 17.3 assists per game, which ranks 38th in the country. UTA is making free-throws at a 74.2% clip, leading the conference and ranking 57th in the nation.

The Lady Mavs also rank in the top 100 nationally in field goal percentage (85th; .437), field goal percentage defense (49th; .352), rebound margin (21st; 13.7) and rebounds per game (48th; 44.7).

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
So far this season, UTA has allowed 188 total points this season, holding the opposition to just 62.7 points per game, which ranks 102nd nationally.

The Lady Mavs have held opponents below 65 points twice this season. UTA has also limited two opponents 35 percent shooting or less from the floor, while forcing two of their three opponents into 14+ turnovers.

WHEN PREPARATION MEETS OPPORTUNITY
After averaging no more than six points per game in their collegiate careers, Shyia Smith and Bre Wickware have been asked to take on bigger offensive roles for the Lady Mavs this season and they have answered the call.

A transfer from Wichita State, Smith's best season came last year when she averaged 6.1 points and 5.1 rebounds on 41.4 percent shooting. The Idabel, Okla. native in her first season in the Blue and Orange is leading the team in scoring (17.0 ppg) and is pulling down 7.0 rebounds per game.

Wickware, who turned in the best season of her collegiate career in 2019-20 after averaging 3.1 points and 2.2 rebounds, is UTA's second leading scorer (15.3) and third on the team in rebounding (6.7).

NEW HEAD COACH, NEW STAFF
Former WNBA player and Vanderbilt Associate Head Coach Shereka Wright was named UTA's 10th head women's basketball coach on Sept. 4.

Wright – a Texas High School Hall of Fame member and former longtime assistant coach at Texas Tech – brings her impressive resume to the Lady Mavericks after spending two seasons (2018-20) with Vanderbilt, five years at Alabama (2013-18) and seven campaigns in Lubbock (2006-13).

A native of Copperas Cove just west of Fort Hood, Wright was the 2000 National Player of the Year her senior season at Copperas Cove High School after averaging 25 points and 10 rebounds per game.

A few weeks after taking the job, Wright assembled and announced her coaching staff. Assistant Coaches Gerald Ewing and Rosalyn Tindel come to UTA from the JUCO ranks, while Sean Ehlbeck joins the Lady Mavs after spending six of the last seven seasons at Maryland. Director of Basketball Operations Dee Davis joins the staff after serving in the same position at Tennessee State last season.

NO NEED FOR A RECOUNT...2020-21 LADY MAVS CAPTAINS
Junior Terryn Milton, senior Bre Wickware and redshirt senior Jordynn Hernandez were named UTA Lady Mavs captains for the 2020-21 season. The trio was voted on by teammates with oversight from head coach Shereka Wright and the Lady Mavs coaching staff.

"Bre, Terryn and JoJo being chosen by their teammates to be captains this year speaks volumes on how much their teammates respect them as leaders," said head coach Shereka Wright. "Each one of them has a responsibility to take care of their business on and off the floor, but more importantly hold themselves and their teammates accountable to meet the standards we have set for our program. I know without doubt they we will do a tremendous job and set great examples of what it means to be a captain."

FOLLOW THE LADY MAVS
For the latest news on UTA Women's Basketball, log on to UTAMavs.com or stay connected to the Lady Mavs on social media. Follow the Lady Mavericks on Twitter @UTAMavsWBB, on Instagram @UTAMavsWBB and on Facebook at Facebook.com/UTAMavsWBB