STEPHENVILLE, Texas – The UT Arlington women's basketball team (14-9, 9-3 WAC) return to action this Saturday, Feb. 22, when they travel to Stephenville to battle Tarleton State (17-10, 8-4 WAC) in a conference matchup that has major implications to the Western Athletic Conference standings. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. CT inside of Wisdom Gym.
 
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 21st overall meeting between the two programs and sixth meeting since Tarleton State moved to Division I status. UTA holds a 15-5 overall record in the all-time series that dates back to 1974. The two meet for the first time since the 1990s when UTA rejoined the Western Athletic Conference back in 2022. The Lady Mavs are currently riding a six-game win streak in the series and are 1-0 against the Texans this season. In Stephenville, the Lady Mavs boast a 6-2 record, winning their last two trips to Wisdom Gym. The Lady Mavs average 68.95 points per game in the series.
 
SCOUTING TARLETON STATE
The Texans carry a 17-10 overall record with an 8-4 conference record into the game. Inside Wisdom Gym, the Texans boast an 11-2 record, winning their last three home games. Tarleton currently sits in third in the current conference standings, right behind the Lady Mavs who sit in second. The Texans have two players who average double digits in scoring led by Arieona Rosborough who averages 12.3 points per game and Jakoriah Long who averages 10.1 points per game. Faith Acker leads the charge on the boards for the Texans, averaging 5.8 rebounds per game.
 
NATURAL BORN SCORER
Fifth year transfer Koi Love is solidifying herself as one of the top scorers in the Western Athletic Conference. 
 
Through 23 games, Love is averaging 16.3 points per game, which is currently the top mark in the WAC and the 108th best mark in the nation as of Feb. 20. Love has put up 376 total points in the Lady Mavs' 23 games, which is third in the conference. She has made 160 field goals on the season, which is second in the WAC and 83rd in the NCAA while her 51.9 field goal percentage is the second-best mark in the WAC and 51st overall. She has six 20-point performances on the season and a record eight WAC Newcomer of the Week honors.
 
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 11 double doubles through 23 games which is 29thin the country. She nearly averages a double double for the season with 13.0 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per game. Her 1.72 assist to turnover ratio is third in the conference and 109th 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 for the season, averaging a league high 22.52 free throw attempts per game which is the eighth best mark nationally. Their average of 15.91 free throws made per game is tops in the league and 11th nationally. Their 70.7 free throw percentage is the fifth best mark in the WAC. Avery Brittingham is third in the conference and 84th in the country with 127 free throw attempts.
 
COLD AS THE ASPEN MOUNTAINS
Aspen Thornton is coming off her best game donning a Lady Mavs uniform and it just so happened to come against the best team in the league, Grand Canyon, who are on the nation's longest winning streak at 22 games. Thornton dropped a Division I career high 29 points on 10-for-17 shooting from the floor, tying her DI career best with 10 made field goals. 
 
Thornton has been playing some of her best basketball coming down the home stretch for the Lady Mavs, averaging 14.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game in her last five games, four of those being starts. Thornton has started in five games and appeared in every game this season.
 
HIGH OCTANE OFFENSE
The Lady Mavs have the second-best scoring offense in the conference and 59th best in the country, averaging 73.4 points per game. Their 6.0 scoring margin in the fourth best mark in the WAC and 113th in the NCAA. The bench averages 22.7 points per game, the third best mark in the conference and 84th nationally. Their field goal percentage of 42.1 percent is the third best mark in the conference.
 
QUEENS OF THE BOARDS
The Lady Mavs are one of the top rebounding teams in the country, averaging a league leading 38.91 rebounds per game which is the 72nd best mark in the country. Offensively, UTA averages 13.0 which is tied for third best in the WAC and 69th best in the NCAA. Defensively, their average of 25.9 is second in the WAC and 113th in the NCAA. The Lady Mavs own the fifth best rebound margin in the conference at 0.7.
 
Avery Brittingham's 9.0 rebounds per game are second in the conference and are 55th nationally while her 208 total rebounds are the second most in the WAC and 110th in the NCAA. Koi Love's average of 7.2 rebounds per game is the sixth best mark in the conference.
 
20 PLUS CLUB
The Lady Mavs have had at least one player record 20 plus points in a game 11 times this season. Aspen Thornton was the latest Lady Mavs to join the list for the first time this season last time out at Grand Canyon. Koi Love leads the way with six such performances while Avery Brittingham and Taliyah Clark each have two apiece.
 
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 4.2 blocks per game, the best mark in the conference and 47th nationally. The Lady Mavs once again have three of the top 10 shot blockers in the WAC with Koi Love averaging 1.00 blocks per game, tied for the fifth highest mark in the conference while Avery Brittingham and Zoe Nelson are tied for the eighth spot in the conference, averaging 0.87 blocks per contest.
 
UTA has posted at least one block in each of their 23 games, with 20 of those seeing the Lady Mavs with multiple blocked shots. Through conference play, the Lady Mavs have 50 blocked shots, second most in that span behind California Baptist.
 
THE FACILITATORS
The Lady Mavs are one of the top teams in the conference when it comes to dishing out assists, their 15.8 per game are the second most in the WAC and 55th overall in the NCAA. Their 0.95 assist to turnover ratio is the second-best mark in the conference and 97th best in the NCAA.
 
Avery Brittingham's 100 total assists lead the team and are the fifth most in conference while her average of 4.3 per game are the fourth best mark in the conference and 83rd nationally. 
 
DEFENSIVE INTENSITY
The Lady Mavs force 19.70 turnovers a game, the fourth best mark in the WAC and the 43rd best mark in the NCAA. Their 10.3 steals per contest are the fourth best mark in the conference and 41st in the country. The Lady Mavs have the fourth best turnover margin in the WAC and the 79th best in the NCAA at 3.13. The Lady Mavs have the fifth best scoring defense in the conference at 67.4.
 
Koi Love's 54 steals are the sixth most in the WAC and 99th in the country. Her average of 2.35 steals per game is the fifth best mark in the conference and 63rd nationally. Brittingham's average of 2.00 steals per contest is the eighth best mark in the WAC.
 
TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
The Lady Mavs are one of the best in the conference when taking care of the basketball, averaging 16.6 turnovers per game which is the second-best mark in the WAC.
 
UTA has turned the ball over less than their opponent in 14 games this season, holding a 10-4 record in those contests.
 
THE PRICE IS WRIGHT
Head coach Shereka Wright overtook Samantha Morrow (2007-13) for the fifth most wins in school history with 75 after their then sixth conference win of the season over Southern Utah on Jan. 30, 2025. After the Lady Mavs win against Seattle U at home, Wright now has 78 wins and trails Krista Gerlich (121), Donna Capps (119), Connie Kelch (117) and Mike Dean (115). Wright's .578 winning percentage is the best in program history.
 
TRIPLE DOUBLE FACTORY
There have been 26 triple doubles in all of NCAA Division I so far in the season and the Lady Mavs have three of those 26 with Avery Brittingham (2) and Koi Love (1). UTA is the only team with multiple players to post a triple double. Brittingham is tied for fifth amongst active players with four career triple double performances. In program history, the Lady Mavs have five with three of those coming this season and Brittingham is the only player with multiples, three in her tenure with UTA.
   
FOLLOW ALONG
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