ARLINGTON – The UT Arlington women's basketball team tips off its 2021-22 season with a stiff test as they welcome in No. 7/8 Baylor to the College Park Center on Thursday evening at 6 p.m.
3-POINTERS
- It will be the 22nd meeting between the Lady Mavs and Bears and the first meeting in Arlington since 1990. The two sides have not met since 2015. UTA is 3-2 all-time against Baylor at home.
- The Lady Mavs welcome four starters back this season in the likes of Terryn Milton, Katie Ferrell, Shyia Smith, and Claire Chastain. Camryn Hawkins and Emma Halverson are key returning letterwinners while Starr Jacobs and De'Sha Benjamin look to made an immediate impact as transfers.
- UTA is 24-24 all-time in season openers including a 14-4 record at home. UTA has won five straight season openers with their last loss coming at the hands of the Bears on Nov. 13, 2015.
ASSIST QUEENS
Seniors
Katie Ferrell and
Terryn Milton continue to make their mark in the record book as they both entered the Top 10 in career assists this past season.
Ferrell moved into third all-time in career assists after dishing out three in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament loss to App State, passing Paige Smith-Wojciak.
As the 2021-22 season begins, Ferrell inches closer to second as she is only 40 behind Terra Wallace, a mark she can hit in the early half of the season.
Ferrell will have an outside chance to become the all-time leader in assists as she is 192 behind all-time leader Krystal Buchanan.
Milton, on the other hand, has a chance to make some serious movement as she enters the 2021-22 season ninth all-time in assists, only 28 behind Cierra Johnson for eighth and 45 behind Gale Haynes for seventh.
Milton is only 79 assists away from moving as high as fourth all-time.
OPENING CREDITS
Thursday's opener against Baylor will mark the sixth straight contest where UTA has opened the season at home. The Lady Mavs have won five straight season openers and seven straight home openers.
UTA's last loss in a season opener came against No. 5 Baylor on Nov. 13, 2015, where they fell 62-20 in Waco.
The last time the Lady Mavs dropped a home opener came on Nov. 14, 2013, where they fell to Incarnate Word by the score of 52-48.
UTA is 24-24 all-time in season openers with a 14-4 record at home. The Lady Mavs are 36-12 all-time in home openers. It is the third time UTA will open the season with Baylor as they hold a 1-1 mark including a 68-65 win on Nov. 27, 1984.
HOME SWEET HOME
The UTA women have called the College Park Center home since February 1, 2012 when they defeated UTSA in their first contest in their new home arena, 51-40. Since then, the Lady Mavs have complied a home record of 80-51 including five seasons with 10 or more wins.
Since the 2016-17 season, the Lady Mavs have been remarkable at home as they have put together an impressive 56-13 record including a 37-6 reocrd in Sun Belt play as they have not lost more than two games inside their home arena.
Lady Mavs Home Record
2020-21: 8-1
2019-20: 12-4
2018-19: 12-3
2017-18: 13-2
2016-17: 11-3
2015-16: 7-8
2014-15: 10-5
2013-14: 3-11
2012-13: 3-10
2011-12: 1-4
Total: 80-51
CLAIRE RETURNS
After only playing in three games last season and opting out due to COVID-19 concerns, senior Claire Chastain returns to the floor for her final season and looks to make an impact on a talented squad.
Chastain is a two-time Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selection, earning third team honors in 2020-21 and second team honors in 2019-20.
During her sophomore campaign in 2019-20, Chastain was second on the team in points with 10.9 per game to go with .400 shooting from the field and .325 from behind the arc. She was eighth in the Sun Belt in 3-point field goals made per contest at 1.52 and upped her point total to 11.1 points in conference play. She led the team in scoring 20 times that season.
CAM FROM DEEP
Senior
Camryn Hawkins comes off a breakout season in which she made a huge impact on the team, making 18 appearances to go with 10 starts.
Hawkins was especially good from deep as she finished 30 of 83 from behind the arc, good for a 3PT percentage of .372, which was the 15th best in school history.
Hawkins was sixth in the SBC in 3PT percentage as well as 3PT field goals made per game at 1.7.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
UT Arlington was one of the top defensive teams in the country last season as they suffocated opponents with their terrific defense. The Lady Mavs were in the Top 20 nationally in three defensive categories including:
Scoring Defense: 10th (54.0)
FG Percentage Defense: 12th (39.6)
3PT FG Percentage Defense: 20th (26.7)
The Lady Mavs held their opponents under 40% shooting in 16 games last season and held opponents under 30% from behind the arc in 12 games. They also held their oppoennts under 60 points in 13 games.
CAPTAINS NAMED
Shereka Wright announced her four captains for the 2021-22 season in Claire Chastain, Terryn Milton, Shyia Smith, and Katie Ferrell.
AMONG THE ELITE
UTA has been one of the top teams in the Sun Belt Conference year in and year out since joining the league in 2013-14. The Lady Mavs have been .500 or better every year except their very first season and have currently won 10 or more conference games in seven straight seasons, a conference-leading mark they hold with Troy.
1. Little Rock: 113
2. Troy: 103
3. UTA: 90
4. Arkansas State: 82
5. Louisiana: 79
6. Texas State: 77
7. South Alabama: 62
8. Georgia State: 58
9. App State: 55
10. Coastal Carolina: 41
11. Georgia Southern: 31
ULM: 31
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
UT Arlington built up a tough non-conference schedule in 2020-21 as 10team docket includes three teams who made the NCAA Tournament last season, two teams who competed in the WNIT, and eight total teams who had a winning record in 2020-21.
All opponents are NCAA Division I teams, including two teams that won their conference championship and the WNIT Champion from a season ago. Two NCAA Tournament participants and both WNIT participants will visit the College Park Center.
FOLLOW ALONG
For updates, behind-the-scenes photos, videos and more engaging and personal content, be sure to follow the women's basketball program on Twitter (@UTAMavsWBB), Instagram (@UTAMavsWBB) and Facebook (/UTAMavsWBB).
