WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The UT Arlington women's basketball team continue their five-game road swing with game four on Sunday, Nov. 24, when they travel to Indiana for the first time in program history to take on head coach Shereka Wright's alma mater, Purdue, from inside the Mackey arena for a noon CT tipoff.
 
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the first ever meeting between the two programs and the first ever trip to the state of Indiana for the Lady Mavs. This is a homecoming for Lady Mavs head coach Shereka Wright, who played at Purdue from 2000-2004 and was a three time All American for the Boilermakers. 
 
SCOUTING PURDUE
The Boilermakers wrap up their five game homestand to start the year and hold a 3-1 record. Last time out, Purdue rallied from eight points down in the third quarter to defeat Bellarmine by a score of 78-67. Purdue is led by Reagan Bass who averages 15.5 points per game and an even seven rebounds. Stephen F. Austin transfer Destini Lombard is second on the team with 13 points per game. She also averages 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.3 steals per game.
 
KICKIN' IT WITH KOI
Fifth year transfer Koi Love is establishing herself as one of the premier players in the Western Athletic Conference. Through five games, Love is averaging a league high 19 points per game, which is currently the 52nd best mark in the nation as of 11/22. Love has put up 95 total points in the Lady Mavs five games, which is second in the conference and 58th best in the country. She has made 39 field goals in the early going, which is tops in the WAC and the 24th best mark in the NCAA. Love's 54.2 field goal percentage is the best mark in the WAC and 88th in the nation.
 
Love's 14 steals are fourth most in the WAC and 67th in the NCAA. Her average of 2.8 steals per game is also the fourth best mark in the conference and 67th nationally.
 
In just her second game in the orange and blue, Love finished with a game high 21 points to go along with one rebound, one assist and one steal in 16 minutes. Love's impressive 10-for-11 night from the floor moved her into the record books as well, putting her in a tie for 9th place with a 90.9 field goal percentage, first time since 2020 that's been done.
 
Love recorded 20 points in her Lady Mavs debut, that's the most in a debut for the Lady Mavs in over 10 years. In her first game donning the blue and orange, Love swiped a career high five steals and tied her career high with two made three pointers in 33 minutes of action.
 
THE FACILITATORS
The Lady Mavs boast two of the top assists' leaders in the WAC in the early going of the season in Avery Brittingham and Nya Threatt.
 
Brittingham's 21 total assists are third in the conference, while Threatt has 13 total assists. Brittingham is fifth in the conference in assists per game with 4.2 while Threatt is averaging 2.6 a game. Brittingham's mark of 2.33 in the assist to turnover ratio is the second best mark in the conference.
 
ALL AROUND HOOPER
Avery Brittingham is showing why she's a Preseason All-WAC selection in the early portion of the season. Through five games, she has already posted a triple double, one of four that's happened throughout NCAA Division I.
 
She is tied for the league lead in rebounds at 45, which is also 89th in the country. Her average of nine rebounds per game is tied for the league lead, which is also 78th in the NCAA.
 
In the early part of the season, Brittingham has posted two double doubles through five games which is tied for the league lead and 29th in the country. She is currently second on the team in points per game with 12.8.
 
AIN'T NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP
Sophomore Miraya Perkins is shaping up to be a formidable player off the bench in just her second season, appearing in all five games in the early going. Perkins is averaging 6.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game, all career highs for the Dallas native.
 
IF IT'S FREE, IT'S FOR ME
As a team, the Lady Mavs are one of the best teams in the conference and the nation in getting to the free throw line in the early part of the season, averaging 26.6 free throw attempts per game, which is the best mark in the WAC and seventh nationally. Their average of 16.4 free throws made per game is tops in the league and 26th nationally.
 
Perkins is showing to be one of the best free throw shooters in the conference in the early part of the season. Perkins is currently shooting 83.3 percent from the charity stripe.
 
TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
The Lady Mavs are one of the best in the conference when taking care of the basketball. They have a league low 14.8 turnovers per game which is the 85th best mark in the nation.
 
DEFENSIVE INTENSITY
The Lady Mavs force an even 21 turnovers a game, the third best mark in the WAC and the 68th best in the NCAA.
 
Their 10.8 steals per contest are the fourth best mark in the conference and 71st in the country.
 
The Lady Mavs have the second best turnover margin in the WAC and the 52nd best in the NCAA at 6.2. Brittingham has the second best assist to turnover in the WAC at 2.33.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The UT Arlington women's basketball team picked up their first road win of the season, defeating East Texas A&M 73-71 Monday night inside The Field House.
 
The Lady Mavs posted their first come from behind win on the young year, trailing by as many as 12 in the third quarter and taking their first lead of the second half at the five-and-a-half-minute mark in the fourth quarter thanks to a step back three from Koi Love. 
 
In the final five minutes there were four lead changes and two ties. UTA took the final lead with a little over three minutes to go on an Avery Brittingham second chance layup while drawing a foul. She hit her free throw to put the Lady Mavs up two and secure the victory.
 
Love led all scorers with 24 points on an 8-for-12 night from the field, hitting seven of her nine free throws and drilling the lone three pointer of the game for the Lady Mavs, a crucial triple that gave UTA their first lead since the first quarter. Love also had a game high three steals while adding in four rebounds and an assist. Brittingham was the second leading scorer, finishing with a season high 18 points while hitting a career high 10 free throws. She grabbed a game high 17 rebounds which is also the most she's had donning a Lady Mavs jersey, falling three short of tying her career high. She fell three assists short of her second triple double of the season, finishing with a game high seven. Brittingham also added two blocks and a steal to her stat line.
Starters Zoe Nelson and Nya Threatt both finished with nine points apiece. Nelson fell one point shy of her first double double of the year, grabbing a season high 11 rebounds to go along with one steal. Threatt grabbed a season high four boards and had two steals on the night. Aspen Thornton chipped in with seven points and four assists.
 
As a team, the Lady Mavs outrebounded the Lions 48 to 41. Both teams shot 37-percent from the floor on the night.
   
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 X (formally known as Twitter) (@UTAMavsWBB), Instagram (@UTAMavsWBB) and Facebook (/UTAMavsWBB).