STEPHENVILLE, Texas – The UT Arlington women's basketball team (6-6) returns to action with the start of the conference slate when they travel to Stephenville to take on the Texans of Tarleton State (6-5) on Monday, December 29. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT from inside the ECCU Center.
 
The is the second straight season the Lady Mavs kick off Western Athletic Conference play with the Texans, with the Texans travelling to Arlington last season to kick off league play, an 87-79 win for the Lady Mavs. All-time in conference openers, the Lady Mavs are 25-18 with a 10-11 record when opening conference on the road. In the WAC, the Lady Mavs are 2-2 as we head into the fifth year of WACtion. This is the fourth time in five years of WAC play that the Lady Mavs open up conference play on the road.
 
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 23rd overall matchup between the two programs in a series that dates back to the 1970s. The Lady Mavs hold a comfortable edge in the all-time series, 16-6, with a 66-55 victory over the Texans in their last matchup at the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas. In their last 10 matchups, the Lady Mavs boast an 8-2 record with a 4-1 record in their last five matchups. In Stephenville, the Lady Mavs are 6-3 while holding the Texans to 71.56 points per contest and averaging 73.44 points per contest on the road. In the all-time series, the Lady Mavs average 68.27 points per game.
 
SCOUTING TARLETON STATE
The Texans enter the conference opener with a 6-5 overall record and are winners of four of their last five games, dropping their most recent to Montana in a 90-85 OT heartbreaker back on December 20. At home, the Texans hold a 3-2 record inside the new ECCU Center. As a team, the Texans average 68.7 points per game while holding opponents to 65.8 points per contest. The Texans are led by former Lady Mav, Gia Adams, who averages 13.5 points per contest while Shadasia Brackens averages 11.4 points per contest.
 
SHOOTERS SHOOT
The Lady Mavs are one of the better shooting three-point teams in the conference despite taking the least amount of attempts, averaging a league-low 12.7 attempts per game and converting on 4.3 of those attempts, also a league low. Despite the amount, the Lady Mavs sit near the top of the league leaderboards in three-point percentage, converting 33.6-percent of their attempts, the third best mark in the conference and 91st in the nation.
 
In eight of the Lady Mavs 12 games, UTA has outshot opponents from deep.
 
DOWNTOWN LOCKDOWN
The Lady Mavs defend the three-point shot extremely well, holding opponents to 22.5-percent through 12 games on the season. This is the top mark in the conference and the third best mark in the nation.
 
Through non-conference play, the Lady Mavs held opponents to 42-of-187 from deep, an average of 3.5 threes per game.
 
Opponents have shot under 30-percent from deep in 10 of the Lady Mavs' 12 contests. Four out of the last five games, the Lady Mavs have held opponents to under 30-percent from deep with one of those contests seeing the Lady Mavs hold opponents under 20-percent from beyond the arc.
 
YOU SURE SHE'S JUST A FRESHMAN?
True freshman Kira Reynolds has made her presence for the Lady Mavs not only known throughout the league, but putting the whole nation on notice. Through 12 games, she leads the Lady Mavs in points and rebounds, averaging a near double-double with 12.1 ppg and 8.4 rpg. Her five double-doubles on the year have her tied for the top mark in the league as well as for 21st nationally. 
 
When she gets to the free throw line, she's almost automatic as she's shooting 76.8-percent from the charity stripe, the fifth best mark in the conference. Her 56 total free throw attempts is the third best mark in the league while her 43 total free throw makes is the second best mark in the conference.
 
Her 101 total rebounds are fourth most in the league and 79th best in the country. She's fourth in the conference with 8.4 rebounds per game which also has her 76th in the country.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, she's a menace in blocking shots. Her 35 total blocks is the second best mark in the WAC and is the sixth best mark in the NCAA. Her average of 2.92 blocks per game is the best mark in the league while it has her ranked fourth in the nation.
 
BENCH MOB
The Lady Mavs boast one of the best benches in the WAC, with the bench averaging an impressive 22.5 points per game which is the third best mark in the conference.
 
STILL THROWING A BLOCK PARTY
The Lady Mavs were one of the better shot blocking teams in the WAC last season and that is still setting up to be the trend this season as UTA averages a shade under five blocks per game, coming in at 4.9 per contest which is the second best mark in the WAC and the 34th best mark nationally.
 
LONG AND ATHLETIC
The Lady Mavs give teams fits down in the paint with their length. Opposing teams have trouble blocking the Lady Mavs' shots. Through 12 games, opponents have managed 37 total blocks while the Lady Mavs have blocked 59 shots on the season as a team. UTA averages 4.9 blocks per contest while opponents average 3.1 blocks per game. A total of nine of the 12 players on the roster have recorded a block on the season.
 
NO LIMIT VETERAN
Senior point guard Nya Threatt is coming into her newfound role as the leader of the team as the most experienced player on the team with 68 starts under her belt. She is coming off a career night where she dropped a new career best 21 points in front of a homecoming crowd inside the CPC. She currently sits second on the Lady Mavs averaging 9.6 points per game to go along with a team-high 33 assists and 15 steals in 10 games for the point guard.
 
FREE99
Through 12 games on the season, the Lady Mavs are 
shooting 71.1-percent (172-of-242) from the free throw line while opponents are shooting 67.6-percent (202-of-299) from the charity stripe.
 
The Lady Mavs sit second in the league and 59th in the country in free throw attempts per contest with 20.17. They sit fourth in the conference in free throw percentage at 71.1-percent while coming in at second in the WAC and 65th in the NCAA in free throws made with 14.33 per contest.
 
DEFENSIVE MENTALITY
The Lady Mavs hang their hats on playing tough and physical defense. UTA forces opponents into 18.25 turnovers per game, the third best mark in the league. They are fourth in the WAC in steals per contest with an average of 9.3.
 
NEXT UP
The Lady Mavs close out their road trip with a visit to California Baptist to bring in the New Year on Thursday, January 1. Tipoff is slated for 3 p.m. CT from inside the Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center.
   
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).