ARLINGTON – The UT Arlington women's basketball team returns to action on Thursday night as they make a pit stop at home against in-state rival Texas State at 7 p.m. inside the College Park Center.
3-POINTERS
- UT Arlington will make a quick trip to the College Park Center in the midst of five of six games on the road to take on rival Texas State in back-to-back games against their in-state rival.
- It will be the 78th meeting between the Lady Mavs and the Bobcats, the most against a single opponent in school history. UTA has won three of the last four, including a 51-43 win over the Bobcats on Feb. 13, 2021, inside the CPC. UTA has won five in a row over Texas State in their home gym.
- It will be a special day inside the College Park Center on Thursday night as the program will retire former great Rebekah VanDijk's number 44. VanDijk played from 2014-2018 and is the career leader in rebounding as well as top three in field goals made, field goal percentage, blocked shots, points, and free throws made.
LAST TIME OUT: GEORGIA SOUTHERN
- UTA dropped a heartbreaking contest to Georgia Southern, falling 64-63 inside Hanner Fieldhouse
- The second quarter was disastrous for UTA as they only shot 2 of 8 from the field and turned it over eight times, four of those being offensive fouls.
- UTA responded incredibly in the third quarter, going 9 of 18 form the field with three of their four total made 3-pointers in that period.
- Georgia Southern outscored UTA 31-5 in bench points.
- The Eagles also held a 15-5 advantage in second chance points, finishing with 48 total rebounds, including 18 offensive.
- The Lady Mavs had, by far, their worst assist-to-turnover ratio in a game, finishing with 17 turnover to only seven assists.
- The seven assists in a season-low for UTA and snaps a string of 11 straight games with 10 or assists or more as a team.
- The Lady Mavs were 3 of 6 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.
- Claire Chastain's 13 rebounds were a season-high for the Lady Mavs and a career-high for the senior from Shawnee.
- Chastain's 12 third quarter points was the most by a Lady Mav in a period this season.
- Additionally, Terryn Milton's four blocks were also a season-high for the Lady Mavs and a career-high for Mlton.
- Katie Ferrell set season-highs with 15 points and three made 3-pointers.
- UTA finished with only 28 points in the paint, only the second time this season they've been held under 30 points inside the paint (0-2 in those games).
SCOUTING TEXAS STATE
- Texas State comes in as winners of two straight games, sweeping the Georgia trip last weekend as they defeated Georgia Southern and Georgia State on the road. The Bobcats sit at 8-9 overall and are tied with UTA for fourth in the SBC at 3-2.
- Da'Nasia Hood leads Texas State with 15.9 points per game and comes off a career weekend where she was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week.
- Hood, who was named the conference's player of the week for the second time in her career, averaged 29.0 points on 77.4 percent shooting while also averaging 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 1.5 assists and 1.0 blocks. She scored a career-high 32 points against the Eagles on 13 of 16 shooting and followed that up with a 26 point, 14 rebound performance against the Panthers.
- Hood is currently first in conference only scoring at 23.6 points per game as she has elevated her game thus far in the conference season.
- Texas State guard Kennedy Taylor is sixth in the country in total assists with 102 and 12th in the nation in assists per game with 6.0. On top of being a great facilitator, she is excellent on the defensive end, sitting 33rd in the nation with 40 steals and leading the SBC in steals per game at 2.35.
- Led by Taylor, Texas State is one of the top teams in the nation in assists as they are 19th in total with 284 and 23rd in assists per game at 16.7. Kennedy is averaging 7.2 assists per game in conference play.
- Last season, Texas State finished 11-11 overall and 7-8 in SBC play. They went on to reach the Sun Belt Quarterfinals before falling to defending champion Troy in overtime, 103-90. UTA and Texas State split their series last season.
VANDUJK'S JERSEY TO BE RETIRED
Former UTA great Rebekah VanDijk will have her No. 44 jersey retired on Thursday evening at halftime against Texas State.
VanDijk was a four-year started out of Nazareth, Texas and is one of the greatest players in UTA women's basketball history.
VanDijk averaged 13.9 points per game in her career to go with 9.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. She was a first team Mid-Major All-American selection in 2015, a four-time SBC All-Conference selection, and the 2015 SBC Freshman of the Year.
She holds the following program records:
- Rebounds – 1,117 (1st)
- Field Goals Made – 661 (2nd)
- Field Goal Percentage – .548 (2nd)
- Blocked Shots – 203 (2nd)
- Points – 1,676 (3rd)
- Free Throws Made – 354 (3rd)
- Rebound Average – 9.2 (5th)
FIVE STARR
Starr Jacobs has put together an unbelievable season by every metric thus far for the Lady Mavs.
Jacobs is 18th in the country in field goal percentage (.581), 30th in the nation in field goals made (111), and 31st in the country in points per game (19.1). Jacobs is also 81st in the NCAA and third in the Sun Belt in steals per game with 2.29.
Jacobs has scored 10 or more points in all 143 contests this season and 20 or more points in seven games this season. Additionally, Jacobs has made five or more field goals in every single contest this season and shot above 50% in 11 of 14 games.
The one struggle Jacobs had at times this season was at the free throw line, but in the last few weeks, she has began to made an impact at the charity stripe.
Going into conference play, Jacobs was shooting 18 of 41 (. 439) from the free throw line. In her last three games, Jacobs has gone 33 of 40 (.825) from the line, including 6 of 6 against ULM.
In Las Vegas, Jacobs put together one of her best weekends as she combined to go 26 of 41 (63.4%) from the field while averaging 27.5 points to go with 3.5 steals. She scored 28 on 14 of 24 shooting against UNLV and followed that up with 27 on 12 of 17 from the field against Kansas City.
Jacobs added her name to the record books as her 14 made field goals against UNLV on Nov. 27 was good for the third-most all-time in a single game in UTA history. Her 12 made field goals against Kansas City on Nov. 28 tied her for ninth all-time.
BIG KAT MOVES TO 2ND
With an assist in the third quarter against Rice on Dec. 4, 2021, senior
Katie Ferrell tied Terra Wallace for second all-time in career assists with 409.
Ferrell moved into sole possession of second place early in the first quarter against Oklahoma State on Dec. 17.
Against #13/17 South Florida on Dec. 2, 2021, Ferrell became the third Lady Mav in school history to eclipse 400 career assists.
Ferrell is currently third in the Sun Belt Conference in assists with 4.6 per game and secondt in assist/turnover ratio at 2.21. Her assist/turnover ratio is good for 47th in the country.
Ferrell will have an outside chance to become the all-time leader in assists as she is 132 behind Krystal Buchanan. Ferrell is 13assists away from moving into the Top 25 in career assists in the Sun Belt.
TERRYN CLOSES IN ON 5TH
With her third assist in the second quarter on Jan. 13 against Georgia State, senior
Terryn Milton moved into sixth all-time in career assists, passing Shalyn Martin at 334. Milton now sits at 335 assists in her career.
Milton is only five away from passing Tamara Simmons and moving into fifth place. Milton is 30 assists away from moving into fourth all-time.
Milton is fifth in the Sun Belt in assists per game with 3.5 and first in the SBC in assist/turnover ratio at 2.33, also good for 33rd in the country. She had a season-high nine assists against Sam Houston on Nov. 13, where she became the ninth Lady Mav in school history to eclipse 300 career assists.
Milton, along with Ferrell, have 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 against Houston on Nov. 17 at 676. They became the first duo to surpass 700 combined assists in the win over UNLV on Nov. 27.
| Player |
Year |
Assists |
| 1. Krystal Buchanan |
2001-05 |
561 |
| 2. Katie Ferrell |
2018-pres. |
433 |
| 3. Terra Wallace |
2003-07 |
409 |
| 4. Paige Smithers-Wojciak |
1982-86 |
366 |
| 5. Tamara Simmons |
2007-11 |
341 |
| 6. Terryn Milton |
2018-pres. |
336 |
| 7. Shalyn Martin |
2007-11 |
334 |
| 8. Gale Haynes |
1993-97 |
332 |
| 9. Cierra Johnson |
2014-19 |
315 |
| 10. Carolyn Smith |
1977-81 |
282 |
CLAIRE FIRES BACK
Senior
Claire Chastain has been in a tough shooting slump in the last few weeks. After scoring 10 or more points in four of the first seven games, Chastain had not reached double-figure scoring in six straight games.
It was a tough start again on Saturday against Georgia Southern as Chastain started the game 0-for-4 through 25 minutes of play against Georgia Southern. However, a flip switched in the third quarter and Chastain caught fire, scoring 15 points to lead a second half comeback on 5 of 8 shooting.
Chastain was especially great in the third quarter, helping erase a 13-point deficit. Chastain scored 12 points in the quarter, a season-high for the Lady Mavs this season, on 4 of 7 shooting, including an unbelievable four-point play to spark the run. She ended the half with a buzzer beating lay-up to put UTA up by six.
Chastain would go on to notch her second career double-double, finishing with 15 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.
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 84-52 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 62-16 record including a 37-7 record in Sun Belt play as they have not lost more than two games inside their home arena.
Lady Mavs Home Record
2021-22: 4-2
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: 84-53
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: 114
2. Troy: 107
3. UTA: 93
4. Arkansas State: 85
5. Louisiana: 82
6. Texas State: 80
7. South Alabama: 63
8. Georgia State: 58
9. App State: 56
10. Coastal Carolina: 43
11. Georgia Southern: 33
12. ULM: 31
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).
