DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. --- The UT Arlington women's basketball team (2-2) will compete against the University of Cincinnati (3-2) and the University of Toledo (3-1) on Friday and Saturday as part of the Daytona Beach Invitational at the Ocean Center.
 

UT ARLINGTON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL INFORMATION
Games 5 and 6	UT Arlington (2-2) vs Cincinnati (3-2) | UT Arlington vs Toledo (3-1)
Date | Time	Friday, Nov. 25 at 2:30 p.m. CT | Saturday, Nov. 26 at 12:15 p.m. CT
Location	Ocean Center | Daytona Beach, Fla.
Live Stats	Stat Broadcast | Cincinnati | Toledo
Streaming	FLOHOOPS ($)
Game Notes	UT Arlington | Cincinnati | Toledo

 
UT ARLINGTON BY THE NUMBERS
Milestone Wins
100th win - 65-50 vs Texas Woman's on Nov. 13, 1979
200th win - 64-51 vs Texas Wesleyan on Feb. 2, 1987 (in Fort Worth, Texas)
300th win - 73-55 vs Nicholls State on Feb. 15, 1996
400th win - 67-63 at Louisiana Monroe on Feb. 1, 2003
500th win - 54-41 vs Texas A&M - Corpus Christi on Jan. 26, 2008
600th win - 65-58 vs Appalachian State on Feb. 13, 2016
700th win - 60-40 at Arkansas State on Feb. 26, 2021
 
By The Decade
1972-82: 147-135 (.521)
1982-92: 109-165 (.398)
1992-02: 135-141 (.489)
2002-12: 169-132 (.562)
2012-22: 161-131 (.551)
2022-present: 2-2 (.500)
Overall: 723-706 (.506)
 
SERIES HISTORY
While this will be the first all-time meeting against Toledo, UT Arlington and Cincinnati will square off for the third time overall. The programs met in 1991 and 2005 with the Bearcats coming away with victories on their home court each time.
 
TOUGH STRETCH
The Daytona Beach Invitational will represent the continuation of a tough schedule for the Lady Mavs, who recently lost close games against a pair of teams that made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year in Kansas and No. 16 Oklahoma.
 
UTA went on the road to Lawrence, Kan. and trailed by just one twice late in the fourth quarter, the second time which came on a layup from Starr Jacobs with 3:36 left before falling 79-74. Then, in the Maggie Dixon Classic against the nationally-ranked Sooners, the Lady Mavs took a 74-73 lead with four minutes left in the game on a jumper from Jireh Washington, but Oklahoma went on a 5-0 run and closed the game on a 16-6 spurt.

JIREH'S BIG START
Jireh Washington, a fifth-year transfer from Arkansas State University, is leading the team in scoring, assists and steals through four games as the versatile point guard is averaging 16.5 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 steals over 28 minutes per contest. She has reached double-digits in scoring each game, including a season-best 22 against Texas A&M – Commerce on Nov. 12. In the season opener against Texas Southern, she registered 11 assists, which was just the 12th time a player has notched that many in a game in program history.
 
Among all WAC players, Washington leads the way in total assists, assists per game and total steals, and she ranks among the top three in the conference in six categories, including steals per game (3rd, 3.25), free throw attempts (3rd, 30) and scoring (3rd, 16.5). Nationally, she ranks 13th in assists per game (6.5), 35th in total assists (26), 37th in steals per game, 42nd in free throw attempts and 56th in total steals (13).
 
GIPSON COMES UP BIG
Kamaria Gipson, a transfer from San Diego State, earned her first start as a Lady Mav on Nov. 12 in the 75-72 win over Texas A&M – Commerce. In 29 minutes, she shot 6-for-10 from the field and notched her first double-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds and a game-high four blocks.
 
Since then, Gipson has continued to make a solid impact, averaging eight points and five rebounds per contest this year, the latter of which is second-best on the team. In fact, she ranks second among all WAC players in total blocks (6) and blocks per game (1.5).

ROOKIES MAKING AN IMPACT
A pair of true freshmen – Taleyah Jones and Nya Threatt – are averaging a combined 30.6 minutes per game for the Lady Mavs this year.
 
Threatt, who is averaging 5.3 points, two rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, had a season-high 12 points in the loss to No. 16 Oklahoma, including a game-tying 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter. She also had a season-best four assists in the season-opener against Texas Southern and has recorded one steal in three of four contests so far. Jones, meanwhile, is averaging five points and just over one steal per game. Her breakout performance came in a 10-point outing against Texas Southern, and she followed that up with seven points and two steals against Oklahoma.
 
Another rookie, Alexsyah Goudeau, has seen action in all four games while averaging nearly seven minutes per contest. She is tallying 2.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in that time.
 
SMITH'S GAME-WINNER, ALL-AROUND CONTRIBUTIONS
Fifth-year senior Shyia Smith, who is in her third-year at UT Arlington after spending her first two seasons at Wichita State, scored the game-winning layup with 16 seconds left in the team's 75-72 win over Texas A&M – Commerce on Nov. 12. In four games, she is averaging 9.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.3 assists and one block per game, and she's the only player on the team averaging at least one per game in each of those statistical categories. Overall, Smith ranks among the top 10 of all WAC players in throw percentage (4th, .846) and blocks per game (10th, 1).

OPENING WITH HISTORIC OFFENSE
The 102 points that UT Arlington scored in the season-opening win over Texas Southern represented the most the program has ever produced in a season opener and fell just one shy of the overall single-game record. It was the eighth time the Lady Mavs have reached the century mark in 50-plus seasons of basketball. In fact, it was the most points they've scored in a game in nearly 25 years dating back to a 102-point outing against UTRGV on Jan. 26, 1998.
 
The Lady Mavs are now 25-26 all-time in season openers, as well as 37-14 in home openers. It was the seventh-consecutive season they opened the season at home, and they are 8-1 over the past nine openers.
 
SCORING DEPTH
In addition to Washington, the Lady Mavs have three others averaging double-figures in scoring – Starr Jacobs (11.8/game), Kayla White (11.5/game) and De'Sha Benjamin (10.5/game).
 
AMONG THE NATIONAL LEADERS
The Lady Mavs rank 18th nationally in free throw attempts per game (25), 30th in steals per game (12.8/game), 30th in turnovers forced per game (23/game) and 32nd in scoring offense (82.8/game).

EXPERIENCED LINEUP
In three of the team's four games this year, UT Arlington used a starting lineup that consisted of Starr Jacobs, Jireh Washington, Shyia Smith, De'Sha Benjamin and Kayla White, which is a group of players who have now comprised 421 games of NCAA Division I experience. If you include the 42 games that Jacobs played at Temple College, an NJCAA Division I school, the group has 463 games of collegiate experience.
 
RESTOCKING THE PANTRY
While UT Arlington returns seven players from last year's roster (six that saw action), the Lady Mavs are replacing six players, highlighted by three key outgoing transfers - Terryn Milton (Oklahoma State), Claire Chastain (Oklahoma State) and Katie Ferrell (Texas Tech).
 
Milton, Chastain and Ferrell comprised UTA's second, fourth and sixth leading scorers while Ferrell, Milton and Chastain were the second, third and fourth top rebounders, respectively. If that isn't enough, Milton, Ferrell and Chastain - in that order - were the top three assist producers on the team.
 
In total, UT Arlington will have to replace over 40 percent of its contributions in five key categories:

Scoring - 44.5 percent
Rebounding - 60.5 percent
Assists - 75.2 percent
Steals - 52.5 percent
Blocks - 66.7 percent
 
A STARR RETURNS
Among the six players the Lady Mavs return who saw action last year, Starr Jacobs  leads the pack. The fifth-year senior not only broke the program's single-season scoring record, but she became the only player in the nation to average at least 21 points, two steals and 1.5 assists per game while shooting at least 50 percent from the field. On top of that, she joined Aneesah Morrow (DePaul) as the only two players nationally to average at least 21 points and two steals per game while shooting at least 50 percent from the field. Furthermore, Jacobs and Naz Hillmon (Michigan) were the only two players to average 21 points and 1.5 assists per game while shooting at least 50 percent. She is the top returning mid-major scorer in the nation.
 
With that resume, Jacobs became the first player in program history to be named to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award's preseason watch list. She was selected as the WAC's Preseason Player of the Year by the media and ESPN.com's Charlie Crème while being tabbed Preseason First Team All-WAC by the coaches.
 
DON'T FORGET ABOUT US
Two other key returners who started a combined 30 games last year are De'Sha Benjamin and Shyia Smith. Benjamin (9.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG) was the team's third-leading scorer and is the team's top returning 3-point shooter at .356 (32-for-90) while Smith (6.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG) shot .486 from the field last year, which was second on the team behind Jacobs (.542). Another returner, Reniya Jones, made 9-for-25 from long distance, or .360 last year.
 
WE'RE HERE
With the loss of Milton, Ferrell and Chastain, UT Arlington head coach Shereka Wright used the transfer portal to sign three key players - Jireh Washington, a 5-9 fifth-year guard from Arkansas State, Kayla White, a 5-10 fifth-year guard from Southern Methodist, and Kamaria Gipson, a 6-3 junior center from San Diego State.
 
Washington, who earned preseason First Team All-WAC recognition from the media and Second Team All-WAC honors from the coaches, averaged a career and team-best 14.3 points as a senior in 2021-22 while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from long distance. Averaging double-digit points all four seasons, she had a pair of huge performances against the Lady Mavs last season, pouring in 28 points along with five rebounds and four assists on Jan. 27 before adding 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists on Feb. 26.
 
The 2019-20 Third Team All-Sun Belt selection averaged 12.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.7 SPG game in her career, which included totals of 1,171 points, 387 rebounds, 312 assists and 161 steals. After finishing her Red Wolf career with 81 points over the final three games, Washington will look to have a major role for UTA this year.
 
Similar to Washington, White joins the Lady Mavs as a fifth-year transfer this season after four standout years at SMU, where she averaged 13.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game last year en route to Third Team All-American Athletic Conference (AAC) recognition. On Jan. 13, she poured in a career-best 34 points against East Carolina, en route to finishing second on the team and ninth in the AAC in scoring. She tallied six 20-point performances and reached double-digit scoring 18 times. Overall, her 1,068 career points ranks 22nd all-time at SMU.
 
Gipson should provide a presence in the post for the Lady Mavs after leading San Diego State in blocks (19) last year while averaging 2.6 points and 2.9 rebounds. She also shot .456 from the field over 28 games (18 starts). At the prep level, she poured in 2,655 career points at A.C. Jones High School in Beeville, Texas, which is the 32nd most in the state's high school history.

HOME SWEET HOME 
The UTA women have called the College Park Center home since Feb. 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 90-55 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 66-17 record.
 

2022-23	2-0
2021-22	8-4
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	88-55

 
MID-MAJOR RANKING
The UT Arlington women's basketball team is ranked 23rd in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll of the season that was released Nov. 22, which is a one-spot jump from their position in the initial poll on Nov. 1.
 
Stephen F. Austin, the defending WAC champions, is ranked 15th in the poll.
 
TALENTED DUO
The Lady Mavs signed two talented high school seniors to national letters of intent recently, Miraya Perkins and Aubrey Reid. Perkins, who attends Boswell High School in Dallas, Texas, is ranked as the No. 36 overall recruit in the stat of Texas, where she averaged 15 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 steals and two assists as a junior. One of five children, her father Sam Perkins played basketball at North Carolina from 1980-84 and in the NBA from 1984-2001 with four teams, finishing his professional career with more than 15,000 points and nearly 8,000 rebounds. Reid, a 5-11 point guard from Stephen F. Austin High School in Austin, Texas, is the No. 30 overall recruit in the state of Texas. She averaged 13 points, five rebounds and four assists as a junior.
 
WAC PRESEASON AWARDS
As a team, UT Arlington was tabbed to finish second in the WAC in a preseason vote by the league's coaches and media behind defending champion Stephen F. Austin.
 

2022-23 WAC Preseason Coaches Poll
Rk.	Team (1st-Place Votes)	Pts.
1.	Stephen F. Austin (9)	140
2.	UT Arlington (2)	126
3.	Grand Canyon (2)	124
4.	California Baptist	107
5.	Abilene Christian	86
6.	Southern Utah	83
7.	Sam Houston	70
8.	Utah Valley	69
9.	UTRGV	56
10.	NM State	46
11.	Tarleton	44
	Utah Tech	44
13.	Seattle U	19

 
Preseason Player of the Year
Aiyana Johnson, Grad, F/C, Stephen F. Austin
 
Preseason First Team All-WAC
Trinity San Antonio, So., G, California Baptist
Aaliyah Collins, So., G, Grand Canyon
Madelyn Batista, Sr., F, Sam Houston
Tomekia Whitman, Sr., G, Southern Utah
Aiyana Johnson, Grad, F/C, Stephen F. Austin
Starr Jacobs, 5th, F, UT Arlington
Breaunna Gillen, Sr., G, Utah Tech
Emily Isaacson, Sr., G/F, Utah Tech
 
2022-23 Preseason All-WAC Second Team
Bella Earle, So., G, Abilene Christian
Tiarra Brown, Jr., G/F, Grand Canyon
Chyna Allen, Grad, G, Sam Houston
Cherita Daugherty, Grad, G, Southern Utah
Jireh Washington, 5th, G, UT Arlington
Kayla White, 5th, G, UT Arlington
Iyana Dorsey, So., G, UTRGV
Shay Fano, Jr., F, Utah Valley
 

2022-23 WAC Preseason Media Poll
Rk.	Team
1.	Stephen F. Austin
2.	UT Arlington
3.	Grand Canyon
4.	California Baptist
5.	Abilene Christian
6.	Sam Houston
7.	Utah Tech
8.	Southern Utah
9.	Utah Valley
10.	Tarleton
11.	UTRGV
12.	NM State
13.	Seattle U

 
Preseason Player of the Year
Starr Jacobs, 5th, F, UT Arlington
 
Preseason All-WAC Team
Madi Miller, Grad, G, Abilene Christian
Trinity San Antonio, So., G, California Baptist
Aaliyah Collins, So., G, Grand Canyon
Aiyana Johnson, Grad, F/C, Stephen F. Austin
Zya Nugent, Sr., G, Stephen F. Austin
Starr Jacobs, 5th, F, UT Arlington
Jireh Washington, 5th, G, UT Arlington
Breaunna Gillen, Sr., G, Utah Tech
 
BACK TO THE WAC
After spending the previous nine seasons (2013-22) as a Sun Belt Conference member, UT Arlington officially joined the Western Athletic Conference on July 1, 2022. UTA was a member of the WAC for one year previously in 2012-13 following 48 years in the Southland Conference (1963-2012) – of which it was a founding member.
 
In its lone previous campaign in the WAC, UTA went 4-14 in league play, tying Texas State for ninth place in the regular season standings.
 
New Mexico State, UTA and Seattle U are the only three current WAC schools that were also members of the league in 2012-13.

2012-13 WAC Membership (Current Affiliation)
Denver (Summit)
Idaho (Big Sky)
Louisiana Tech (Conference USA)
New Mexico State
San Jose State (Mountain West)
Seattle U
Texas State (Sun Belt)
Utah State (Mountain West)
UT Arlington
UTSA (Conference USA)
 
2022-23 WAC Membership
Abilene Christian
California Baptist
Grand Canyon
New Mexico State
Sam Houston
Seattle U
Southern Utah
Stephen F. Austin
Tarleton
UT Arlington
UT Rio Grande Valley
Utah Tech
Utah Valley
 
In an effort to continue enhancing its at-large prospects and protecting top seeds in March, a résumé-seeding system will be used to determine how teams are placed at this year's WAC Tournament (men and women).
 
An algorithm will rate performance against all D-I teams faced in the regular season, not just conference play. That will rank teams for the conference postseason tournament. Using this résumé-seeding system, teams will receive more credit for scheduling and playing stronger opponents than weaker ones. This should help the WAC have higher NET rankings, a key-criteria used by the NCAA basketball selection committees.
 
WAC Commissioner Brian Thornton and WAC Associate Commissioner of Basketball Drew Speraw worked with Ken Pomeroy of kenpom.com to put together the formula. To read more about the system – and to see how teams would have been seeded last year as opposed to straight conference record – click here.
 
Celebrating its 60th anniversary during the current 2022-23 academic year, the WAC has officially opened its conference headquarters in the city of Arlington, less than five miles from UTA's campus. It was the first such move for the league in a generation after the WAC had been anchored in Denver for all but a brief stretch of its initial 60 years of existence.
 
NEXT UP
Following this weekend, UT Arlington will return home to face North Texas on Nov. 29 inside the College Park Center before heading on the road for three straight – at Houston (12/1), at Lamar (12/3) and at Baylor (12/7).
 
FOLLOW THE LADY MAVS 
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