LITTLE ROCK – The UTA women's basketball team continues Sun Belt Conference play this weekend when they head to Arkansas to face the Trojans of Little Rock (5-4, 1-1 SBC). UTA and Little Rock open the 2-game series on Friday, Jan. 22 at 6:30 p.m., followed by a 4:00 p.m. contest on Jan. 23.

Matchup: UTA (5-3, 3-1 SBC) at Little Rock (5-4, 1-1 SBC)
When: Friday, January 22 | 6:30 p.m.
Where: Jack Stephens Center | Little Rock, Ark.
Live Stats | ESPN+

Matchup: UTA (5-3, 3-1 SBC) at Little Rock (5-4, 1-1 SBC)
When: Saturday, January 23 | 4:00 p.m.
Where: Jack Stephens Center | Little Rock, Ark.
Live Stats | ESPN+

UP NEXT
UTA will return home and host Arkansas State in a 2-game set at College Park Center next weekend. The squads will meet Jan. 29 (6:00 pm) and Jan. 30 (4:00 PM).
 
A LEAGUE ROAD GAME
The Lady Mavs will play in their first SBC road games of the season this weekend at Little Rock.
 
UTA has played one non-conference road game (at SFA) and a neutral site contest vs. UNT as part of the South Padre Island Classic, which was altered/shortened because of unsafe court conditions.
 
CHASTAIN BACK SOON?
Junior guard Claire Chastain, a 2020-21 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Third Team selection that has not played since the season-opener on Nov. 25 due to COVID protocols and recovery, will be a game time decision on Friday.
 
The Shawnee, Okla. native played in the season-opener against Texas A&M-Commerce (Nov. 25) and finished with eight points, five assists and four rebounds, but has not seen the court since.
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Lady Mavericks averaging 17.1 assists per game, which ranks 25th in the country. UTA also ranks in the top 100 nationally in assist-to-turnover (62nd; 1.04), field goal percentage defense (21st; .342), rebound margin (61st; 5.6), scoring defense (25th; 55.9), scoring margin (70th; 9.5) and three-point defense (47th; .264).
 
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
So far this season, UTA has allowed 447 total points, holding the opposition to just 55.9 points per game, which ranks 25th nationally.
 
The Lady Mavs have held opponents below 65 points six times this season. UTA has also limited four opponents 35 percent shooting or less from the floor, while forcing five of their eight opponents into 14+ turnovers.
 
SBC PLAY
The Lady Mavs are 3-1 in league play and are holding the opposition to just 46.3 points per game. UTA is also limiting opponents to 31.4 percent shooting from the floor and 14 percent from behind the arc.
 
In four SBC games, UTA has not allowed an opponent to score more than 57 points.
 
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 (14.8 ppg) and is tied for the lead in rebounding (6.1 rpg). Smith is also shooting .573 from the floor.
 
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 (13.1) and tied for the team lead in rebounding (6.1).
 
THANKS COVID
Due to positive COVID test results on multiple occasions this season, the Lady Mavericks have been forced to cancel/postpone six games so far. Those contests include: against Midwestern State (Nov. 29) and Rice (Dec. 2), at Kansas State (Dec. 6), versus Houston (Dec. 8) and at Louisiana (Jan. 15-16).
 
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