ARLINGTON – The UT Arlington women's basketball team heads out to the Entertainment Capital of the World this weekend as they compete at the UNLV Thanksgiving Classic inside the Cox Pavilion.
 

HOW TO FOLLOW
Mountain West Network	Live Stats	Tickets
Watch UNLV Game Live	UNLV Live Stats | KC Live Stats	UNLV Tickets | KC Tickets
UT Arlington Game Notes  ///  UNLV Game Notes  ///  Kansas City Game Notes

3-POINTERS

• UTA and UNLV will meet for the first time on a basketball court in 18 years. The two teams have only met twice in their history with the Lady Rebels winning both contests, including a 79-57 win in their last meeting on Nov. 27, 2004.
• UTA and Kansas City, previously UMKC, will meet for the fifth with the Lady Mavs winning their last three match-ups over the Kangaroos. The two squads last met on Nov. 20, 2010 with a 75-68 road win. It'll be the first ever meeting between the two squads on a neutral site.
• The Lady Mavs won their ninth straight overtime game over UNT on Saturday afternoon as UTA improved to 19-18 all-time in OT games. It was the first time UTA played back-to-back overtime games. The Lady Mavs trailed by as many as 11 against UNT and as many as 15 against Houston and were able to come-from-behind in both contests.

UNLV Thanksgiving Classic Schedule

• UTA will battle host UNLV on Saturday, Nov. 27 at 2 PM CT/12 PM PT. This game will be featured on the Mountain West Network.
• The Lady Mavs will then return on Sunday to take on Kansas City at 4:30 PM CT/2:30 PM PT. There will be no broadcast of this game. Follow @UTAMavsWBB for up-to-date information.

LAST TIME OUT: UNT NOTABLES

• UTA defeated UNT in a 75-74 overtime thriller behind 20 points from De'Sha Benjamin, 19 from Starr Jacobs, and 15, including the game-winning free throw, from Claire Chastain. The Lady Mavs erased a 11-point first half deficit.
• UNT came into the contest averaging 50 rebounds per game. After pulling down 29 in the first half, UTA outrebounded UNT in the second half, 13-10 and held them to only five in the overtime period.
• UTA shot 64 percent in the third quarter, a season-high and a sizzling 54 percent in the second half, which was also a season-high, along with five 3-pointers.
• The eight made 3-pointers is a season-high.
• The Lady Mavs move to 3-1, their best start since beginning 4-0 in 2019-20.
• UTA wins their first road game of the season for the first time since 2019-20 when the Lady Mavs defeated UNT in Denton, 68-49.
• The Lady Mavs have now won five straight in Denton.
• The all-time series between UTA and UNT now moved back to even at 30 games apiece.

SCOUTING UNLV

• UNLV comes into the match-up at 3-1 overall including wins over Oral Roberts on the road and Montana State and Southern Utah at home. Their lone loss came on the road at the hands of Northern Arizona. 
• The Lady Rebels have one of the best offenses in the country early on this season as they come in third in the nation in 3-point percentage (46.8) and fifth in the nation in field-goal percentage (51.3). Their scoring offense in 19th in the NCAA (85.7) while their assist-to-turnover ratio is 26th in the nation (1.38). 
• Essence Booker is second in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio at an impressive 11.0. She is also 16th in the country in 3-point field-goal percentage at 60%. 
• Nneka Obiazor is shooting 68% off the bench thus far for the Lady Rebels, good for 14th in the nation. 
• Desi-Rae Young was named Mountain West Player of the Week for her performance in this first week of the season, averging 18.0 points per game and 10 boards including four blocks per game. Against Southern Utah, Booker finished with 16 points and six assists. 
• Kiara Jackson came off the bench and had 10 points with seven assists in the win over Thunderbirds. 
• Young was selected to the Preseason All-MW Second Team. UNLV was selected to finish third in the Mountain West Preseason Polls. 
• Last season, UNLV finished 15-9 overall and was the No. 2 seed in the tournament, but saw their season come to an abrupt end as they were upset in the MW Quarterfinals with a 72-56 loss to Wyoming.

SCOUTING KANSAS CITY

• The Roos won their first road game of the season with a 76-62 win over Dixie State to win their fourth straight game. Their lone loss comes against SMU in their opener.
• Kansas City is off to a 4-1 start. Four games matches the Roos' longest non-conference winning streak since the 2018-19 Roos rattled off four-straight.
• Brooklyn McDavid has fit like a glove in her first four games in Jacie Hoyt's system. The grad transfer has two double-doubles, averages a Summit-leading 18.5 points per game and pulls down a team-leading 8.8 rebounds per game.
• In addition, McDavid is also the reigning Summit League Player of the Week.
• Naomie Alnatas has found a role as a scorer and a distributor, averaging 15.2 points and 6.0 assists per game. Her mark of 6.0 assists leads the Summit and is 22nd in the nation.
• Coach Hoyt's teams are known for their three-point prowess, and this squad hits triples with the best of them. KC is second in the Summit in threes per game (7.0) and leads the league in three point percentage (38.4%). 
• Alnatas was a Summit League Preseason First Team selection while the Roos were selected fourth in the Summit League.
• UMKC finished 10-12 a season ago, including a 7-8 mark in The Summit League.

BREAKOUT BENJAMIN
Senior De'Sha Benjamin found her mark in the win over North Texas as she was a vital piece to the come-from-behind win. A transfer from Alabama, Benjamin finished with a career-high 20 points including career highs in field goals made (7), field goals attempted (14), 3-point field goals made (4), and 3-pointer field goals attempted (8).


CAREER NIGHT FROM TERRYN
Senior Terryn Milton scored a career-high 26 points to go with three steals and three assists in the thrilling come-from-behind overtime win over Houston. Milton set career-high marks in field goals attempted (14), free throws made (10), free throws attempted (12), and tied her career-best in field goals made (8).


OVERTIME IS KIND
UTA played back-to-back overtime games for the first time in school history, picking up a 69-66 win over Houston on Nov. 17, and a 75-74 win on the road against North Texas on Nov. 20. Those wins gave the Lady Mavs nine straight overtime wins.

UTA is now 19-18 all-time in overtime games and 16-15 in one overtime games. The last time the Lady Mavs lost an overtime game was on Feb. 12, 2015 when UTA fell to Texas State on the road, 65-58.


RISING UP THE RANKS
Senior Terryn Milton became the ninth Lady Mav in school history to eclipse 300 assists against Sam Houston. Milton is eight away from moving to eighth all-time in school history in assists.

She has gotten off to an incredible start this season, averaging 5.0 assists per game including a season-high nine against Sam Houston on Nov. 13.

Milton is only eight behind Cierra Johnson for eighth and 25 behind Gale Haynes for seventh.

Milton is 59 assists away from moving as high as fourth all-time.

Senior Katie Ferrell continues to make her mark in the record book as she also in the Top 10 in career assists.

Ferrell moved into third all-time in career assists after dishing out three in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament loss to App State last season, passing Paige Smith-Wojciak.

Ferrell inches closer to second all-time thus far in the 2021-22 season as she is only 23 behind Terra Wallace. Ferrell will have an outside chance to become the all-time leader in assists as she is 173 behind Krystal Buchanan.

Milton and Ferrell become the second duo in school history from the same recruiting class to each have 300 or more assists in a career. Tamara Simmons and Shalyn Martin accomplished this feat in 2011.

Milton and Ferrell passed Simmons and Martin for the most assists by a duo in school history on against Houston on Nov. 17, moving to 676 while Simmons and Martin are at 675. Milton and Ferrell come in with a combined 693 and will likely become the first duo to surpass 700 combined assists.

Player	Year	Assists
1. Krystal Buchanan	2001-05	561
2. Terra Wallace	2003-07	409
3. Katie Ferrell	2018-pres.	386
4. Paige Smithers-Wojciak	1982-86	366
5. Tamara Simmons	2007-11	341
6. Shalyn Martin	2007-11	334
7. Gale Haynes	1993-97	332
8. Cierra Johnson	2014-19	315
9. Terryn Milton	2018-pres.	307
10. Carolyn Smith	1977-81	282

INSTANT IMPACT 
No player has quite made an impact quite like Starr Jacobs has in her first four games with the Lady Mavs. 

After scoring 14 in the first half of her opening game against #7/8 Baylor, Jacobs exploded with 26 points in the win over Sam Houston on 11 of 16 shooting while also adding four steals, three boards, and a blocked shot. Jacobs scored 20 points in the second half alone as the Lady Mavs pulled away from the Bearkats in the second half. 

Jacobs then followed with 14 points against Houston and 19 against North Texas including the game-tying lay-in with seven seconds to play. 

It is believed to be one of the best starts in school history by a newcomer, at least as far as game-by-game box scores go back in UTA's archives. 

Other notable newcomer starts include 18.0 points per game from Christina Devers in 2016-17, 15.3 points per game from Shyia Smith in 2020-21, and 14.8 points per game from Rebekah VanDijk in 2013-14. 

Additionally, Jacobs has been on a tear on the defensive end, averaging 3.3 stelas per game and nearly four steals per game in her last three contests alone. Jacobs 37 steals is first in the Sun Belts and 37th in the country.


WRIGHT NAMED NATIONAL COACH OF THE WEEK
Head Coach Shereka Wright was named the WHoopDirt.com National Coach of the Week after the UT Arlington women's basketball team picked up a pair of huge wins this past week over Houston and North Texas to move to 3-1 overall. 

On Nov. 17, the Lady Mavs went into the half trailing 38-23 and walked out of their home arena on the final buzzer a 69-66 winner in OT over Houston, erasing the 15-point deficit, their largest deficit erased since Jan. 19, 2017 when UTA rallied from 15 down against Louisiana to earn a 79-66 win. 

They followed that up with their second-straight overtime game on Nov. 20, a first in school history, and defeated North Texas on the road, 75-74, after erasing an 11-point first half deficit.

It is the first time a UTA coach has been nationally recognized for a weekly award and the first major award since Krista Gerlich was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year  in 2019.



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 has made an impact on a talented squad.

Chastain has been terrific thus far this season. On Nov. 13 against Sam Houston, she scored 14 points on four made field goals including a pair of 3-pointers. She added four rebounds. Her 14 points was her highest point total since Feb. 9, 2020, in a win over Georgia Southern, where she scored 22. 

She followed that up last Saturday against UNT with 15 points, a season-high, to go with five boards. She had the game-tying put back in overtime with 54 seconds to go thanks to a strong offensive rebound and then went up and knocked down the game-winning free throw with 0.7 seconds to play to give UTA the win on the road. 

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.


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 82-51 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 57-14 record including a 37-6 record in Sun Belt play as they have not lost more than two games inside their home arena.  

Lady Mavs Home Record
2021-22: 2-1
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: 82-52
 

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 10 team 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).