OREM, Utah – The UT Arlington women's basketball team (8-6, 3-0 WAC) hit the road looking to push their win streak to five games when they take on Utah Valley (9-6, 1-2 WAC) in the UCCU Center on Thursday, Jan. 16, for a 7 p.m. central time tipoff.
 
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the fourth overall matchup between the two programs, with the Lady Mavs sporting a 2-1 record. UTA is currently riding a two-game win streak in the series, claiming both contests last season. The Lady Mavs dropped their first ever matchup with the Wolverines back during the 2022-23 season. Away from the CPC, UTA holds a 1-1 record. UTA averages 64 points per contest while holding Utah Valley to 60 points a game in the series.
 
SCOUTING UTAH VALLEY
The Wolverines are in the midst of a two-game skid, dropping their conference games against Grand Canyon and California Baptist last week. The Wolverines average 4.2 blocks per contest, the second-best mark in the WAC behind the Lady Mavs and is the 55th best mark in the NCAA. Utah Valley's bench is one of the best in the country averaging a league high 26.4 points per game which is the 38th best mark in the nation. Danja Stafford Collins averages 7.5 points and 9.2 boards per game, starting all 15 of the Wolverines games.
 
NATURAL BORN SCORER
Fifth year transfer Koi Love is solidifying herself as one of the top scorers in the Western Athletic Conference. 
 
Through 14 games, Love is averaging an even 18 points per game, which is currently the second-best mark in the WAC and the 54th best mark in the nation as of Jan. 15. Love has put up 252 total points in the Lady Mavs' 14 games, which is tied for fourth in the conference. She has made 105 field goals on the season, which is third in the WAC and 77th in the NCAA while her 53.8 field goal percentage is the second-best mark in the WAC and 49th overall. She has five 20-point performances on the season.
 
ALL AROUND HOOPER
Avery Brittingham has proven time and time again that she is one of the premier players in this league. She has posted a league high seven double doubles through 14 games which is 27th in the country. She nearly averages a double double for the season with 13.3 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game.
 
Her 2.03 assist to turnover ratio is second in the conference and 63rd in the country.
 
IF IT'S FREE, IT'S FOR ME
As a team, the Lady Mavs are one of the best teams in the nation in getting to the free throw line at the halfway point of the season, averaging a league high 21.86 free throw attempts per game which is the 15th best mark nationally. Their average of 15.21 free throws made per game is tops in the league and 22nd nationally. 
 
The Lady Mavs are seeming to find their stride at the right time, five out of their last six games UTA has shot 80-percent or better from the charity stripe and shot 77-percent in their last contest. The last six games are six of seven games that the Lady Mavs shot above 75-percent from the free throw line on the season. This has helped bring their free throw percentage up to fifth in the league at 69.6 percent.
 
DEFENSIVE INTENSITY
The Lady Mavs force 19.50 turnovers a game, the fourth best mark in the WAC and the 66th best mark in the NCAA.
 
Their 10.2 steals per contest are the fourth best mark in the conference and 60th in the country.
 
The Lady Mavs have the fourth best turnover margin in the WAC and the 66th best in the NCAA at 3.64.
 
Love's 33 steals are tied for the eighth most in the WAC. Her average of 2.36 steals per game is the third best mark in the conference and 75th nationally. Brittingham's average of 2.07 steals per contest is the ninth best mark in the WAC.
 
THE FACILITATORS
The Lady Mavs are one of the top teams in the conference when it comes to dishing out assists, their 15.9 per game are the second most in the WAC and 61st overall in the NCAA. Their 1.00 assist to turnover ratio is the second-best mark in the conference and 82nd best in the NCAA.
 
Brittingham's 65 total assists lead the team and are the fifth most in conference while her average of 4.6 per game are the fourth best mark in the conference and 66th nationally. Love's 3.5 assists per contest is the sixth best mark in the league.
 
HIGH OCTANE OFFENSE
The Lady Mavs have the third best scoring offense in the conference and 79th best in the country, averaging 72.2 points per game. Their 6.5 scoring margin in the third best mark in the WAC. The bench averages 22.2 points per game, the third best mark in the conference.
 
TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
The Lady Mavs are one of the best in the conference when taking care of the basketball, averaging 15.9 turnovers per game which is the second-best mark in the WAC.
 
STILL THROWING A BLOCK PARTY
The Lady Mavs are still one of the better shot blocking teams in the WAC a year later after leading the league and having two of the top shot blockers in the conference a season ago.
 
The Lady Mavs average 4.4 blocks per game, the best mark in the conference and 39th nationally. The Lady Mavs once again have two of the top five shot blockers in the WAC with Love averaging 1.14 per game, the fourth highest mark in the conference while Brittingham averages 1.07 per game, the fifth highest mark in the conference. Zoe Nelson averages 0.93 per game which is the ninth best mark in the league.
 
In 14 games, the Lady Mavs have posted at least one block in each contest. Their best block performance as a team came against Arkansas when they had nine, the second most by a WAC team on the season and have two other games on the year where they posted seven apiece while having two six block performances also. The Lady Mavs posted their first six block game of conference play last time out versus Southern Utah.
 
QUEENS OF THE BOARDS
The Lady Mavs are one of the top rebounding teams in the country, averaging a league leading 39.79 rebounds per game which is the 71st best mark in the country. Offensively, UTA averages 13.6 which is third best in the WAC and 64th best in the NCAA. Defensively, their average of 26.2 is second in the WAC. The Lady Mavs own the fourth best rebound margin in the conference at 0.1.
 
Brittingham's 9.1 rebounds per game are second best in the conference and 51st nationally while her 128 total rebounds are the second most in the WAC. Love's average of 6.8 rebounds per game is the seventh best mark in the conference.
 
FOUR STRAIGHT...FIVE OVERALL
Koi Love earns her fourth straight and fifth overall Western Athletic Conference (WAC) weekly award, the conference office announced Monday afternoon. 
 
The five overall selections are a new program-high five newcomer weekly honors, breaking the record set by Gia Adams the previous season with four. The fourth straight honor also moves Love into a tie in with Adams for the most consecutive weekly honors in WAC history.
 
The fifth-year guard from Orlando, Fla., averaged 21 points, 6.5 rebounds, four assists and 2.5 steals in helping the Lady Mavs to conference victories over Utah Tech and Southern Utah. The two wins moved UTA to a 3-0 conference record, the first time since the 2019-2020 when they were members of the Sun Belt. In UTA's four-year history in the WAC, this is the first time the Lady Mavs have begun conference play 3-0. 
 
In the 81-60 win over Utah Tech, Love dropped a game high 24 points while grabbing 10 boards, her fourth double double of the season. Love also dished out six assists while finishing with two steals in 28 minutes of action. In the 78-54 win over Southern Utah, Love finished with a game high 18 points to go along with three rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block in 28 minutes.
 
Love currently leads the Lady Mavs in scoring, averaging 18 points per game while averaging 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.4 steals and a little over one block per game on the season. Her scoring average is the second best in the conference and 54th in the country while her 53.8 field goal percentage is second in the league and 49th in the nation. Her steals per game are the third best mark in the WAC and 75th in the country while her average of 1.14 blocks per game is the fourth best mark in the conference. Through three games in conference play, Love is averaging 23.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, two steals and a little over a block per game in conference play alone.
 
THE PRICE IS WRIGHT
Head coach Shereka Wright overtook Cindy Salser (1976-79) for the sixth most wins in school history with 52 last season after a win against Tarleton State on Jan. 4, 2024. After their third conference win of the season over Southern Utah, Wright now has 72 wins and trails Krista Gerlich (121), Donna Capps (119), Connie Kelch (117), Mike Dean (115) and Samantha Morrow (74). Wright's .571 winning percentage is the third best in program history.
   
FOLLOW ALONG
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