ST. GEORGE, Utah – The UT Arlington women's basketball team (14-12, 10-6 WAC) conclude their road trip in the Beehive state when they take on Utah Tech (15-11, 9-6 WAC) for a huge conference matchup with major WAC Tournament seeding implications on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. central time from inside Burns Arena.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 3rd overall meeting between the two programs, with their first matchup dating back to February of last season. The Lady Mavs are 0-2 in the series, with both previous matchups coming from inside the College Park Center. This will be the first ever game for UTA inside Burns Arena.
SCOUTING UTAH TECH
The Trailblazers enter the game ranked 5th nationally in made three pointers (269) and three-pointers made per game (10.3). They are tied for 35th in the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage (.354). WAC Preseason Player of the Year Breaunna Gillen averages 16.0 points per game while leading the Trailblazers with 163 rebounds and 125 assists for the year. She recently became Utah Tech's all-time leading scorer.
TICKET PUNCHED
After a victory over Southern Utah on Wednesday, Feb. 21, the Lady Mavs punched their ticket to WACVegas.
WE'RE GOING STREAKING
UTA currently is riding a four-game winning streak which is the longest such streak in the WAC at the moment. This marks the second longest streak of the season for the Lady Mavs, their longest being a seven-game win streak. Both streaks this season are better than any winning streak the Lady Mavs had the previous year when they had three separate streaks of three games.
'NET' SO FAST
With the non-conference slate over, the Lady Mavs hold the best Net-Non-Conference Strength of Schedule in the WAC. UTA is the only WAC team to crack the top-100, coming in at 78th. The Lady Mavs also have the best NET Strength of Schedule in the conference at 178. UTA also holds the 4th highest NET ranking (179) in the WAC, only behind Grand Canyon (86), California Baptist (133) and Stephen F. Austin (162).
ALL-AROUND HOOPER
Avery Brittingham has done a little bit of everything this season for the Lady Mavs. The senior out of Fort Worth leads the Lady Mavs in rebounding (206 total and 7.9 RPG), in total assists (103), second on the team in blocks (30), in minutes played per game (29), and third on the team in offense (311 total points and 12.0 PPG). In 26 games, she has eight double-doubles and one triple-double. The eight double-doubles not only leads the team but the WAC, while the latter has her 6th in the NCAA and 2nd in the WAC. Her triple-double came against her former team, SFA. She has been named one of the five U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week once so far this season, this came for her performance seven weeks ago.
HAT TRICK
Lady Mavs junior guard
Gia Adams earned her third straight WAC Newcomer of the Week honors after averaging 20.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks last week while going an impressive 17-of-22 from the floor and 5-of-7 from deep. Adams became just the second player in league history to win three consecutive WAC women's basketball weekly award honors. She recorded 22 points, two rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal at Tarleton State. Adams then tallied 19 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals while committing no turnovers at home against UTRGV.
On the season, Adams is the leading scorer for the Lady Mavs, averaging 14.3 points per game while also averaging 32 minutes played per game. Her 14.3 PPG is the 5th best mark in the WAC while her 373 total points is the 4th best mark in the conference. She recently scored her 1000th career point, which came via a three pointer on the road at Grand Canyon. She leads the Lady Mavs with 41 steals for the year while her 45.4 field goal percentage is 4th best in the WAC as well.
SHARPSHOOTERS
As a team, the Lady Mavs are shooting 33.0-percent from beyond the arc. This is the best mark in the conference and 93rd overall in the nation. UTA shoots 42.8-percent from the floor which is the 2nd best mark in the conference and the 93rd best mark in the NCAA.
Taliyah Clark leads UTA with 47 made three pointers on the season. Her 1.81 three pointers per game is 6th best in the WAC. She is 2nd on the team with 12.5 points per game and is third on the squad with 3.8 rebounds per game.
CZECH MATE
5th year transfer Adela Valkova has found her groove these past 17 games, posting double digits in all but five contests. Valkova is 4th on the team, averaging 9.5 points per game and is 2nd on the squad with 5.0 rebounds per game. Against Utah Tech at home, she grabbed her 100th rebound of the season. At Jacksonville State, she posted a career high 21 points to help lead the Lady Mavs to victory. Matched her career high of 8 rebounds three times, last coming at UTRGV while setting a new career high of 5 blocks at Utah Valley. Has posted at least one block in all but two of the past 10 games and has one block in all but six of the 26 games played this year.
CRASH THE GLASS
The Lady Mavs average 36.38 rebounds per game, which is the 6th best mark in the WAC.They average 26.3 defensive rebounds per contest, which is the 3rd best mark in the conference and 99th best mark in the country.
Brittingham leads the conference with 206 total rebounds on the season, which has her 98th in the NCAA. Her 7.9 rebounds per game have her 2nd in the WAC.
FREEBIES
The Lady Mavs are one of the best teams in the country when it comes to getting to the free throw line, averaging 19.04 free throw attempts per game. This is the 65th best mark in the country and 3rd best in the WAC.
The 13.54 free throws made per game has the Lady Mavs 4th in the WAC and 73rd in the NCAA while their 71.1-percent from the charity stripe is the 5th best mark in the conference.
THE FACILITATORS
The Lady Mavs dish out the rock with the best of them in the WAC while also taking care of the ball. They average 15.2 assists per game which is the 3rd best mark in the WAC and the 62nd best in the nation. Their assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.99 is the 4th best mark in the conference and 91st best in the NCAA.
Adams is 4th in the WAC in assist/turnover ratio (1.67), has 85 assists on the season averaging 3.3 assists per game. Brittingham checks in near the top of the leaderboard in conference in total assists with 103 on the year, the 2nd best mark in the WAC. She is 3rd in the WAC averaging 4.0 assists per game.
Nya Threatt is third on the Lady Mavs with 73 assists on the season, averaging 2.8 assists a game. Threatt matched her career high and posted a season's best with seven assists two weeks ago versus CBU.
YOU'RE ALL INVITED TO THE BLOCK PARTY
The Lady Mavs average 4.2 blocks per game, which is tops in the WAC and 53rd overall in the NCAA. Valkova leads the charge with 41 blocks on the season, which is 1st in the conference and 56th in the NCAA. She averages 1.58 blocks per game which is 1st in the WAC and 60th overall in the country. Meanwhile Brittingham has 30 blocks on the season which is the 3rd best mark in the WAC. She averages 1.15 blocks per contest which is 4th best in the WAC.
THE PRICE IS WRIGHT
Head coach
Shereka Wright just overtook Cindy Salser (1976-79) for the sixth most wins in school history with 52 after a win against Tarleton State on Jan. 4. After the victory over Southern Utah, Wright now has 61 wins and trails Krista Gerlich (121), Donna Capps (119), Connie Kelch (117), Mike Dean (115) and Samantha Morrow (74). Wright's .581 winning percentage is the best in program history.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Lady Mavs claimed their 100th victory inside the friendly confines of the College Park Center with a win over Abilene Christian back on Jan. 20, 2024. After a victory over Southern Utah, the Lady Mavs now sport a 102-67 overall record at the CPC. UTA seems to be at their best when playing in front of the home crowd.
IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR
Basketball is a family affair for several people, and that's no different for some Lady Mavs. Transfer
Avery Brittingham is following in the footsteps of her brother, Hayden Brittingham, who spent the 2021-22 season as part of the UT Arlington men's basketball team. Incoming freshman,
Miraya Perkins, is the daughter of former North Carolina Tar Heel, Olympian and 17 year NBA veteran, Sam Perkins.
NEXT UP
The Lady Mavs return home for the final homestand of the season beginning with Seattle U on Thursday, Feb. 29, at 6 p.m. and then welcome Utah Valley to the CPC on Saturday, March 2, at 2 p.m.
– #BuckEm –
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).
