CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University women's basketball team will return to the America First Event Center for a pair of home games this week. First, the Thunderbirds will host Tarleton State on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m. MT. Then, SUU will face Abilene Christian on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 2 p.m. MT.

GAME INFO

Southern Utah vs. Tarleton State

    Date: Thursday, Jan. 25

    Tip-off: 6:30 p.m. MT

    Live Stream | Live Stats

Southern Utah vs. Abilene Christian

    Date: Saturday, Jan. 27

    Tip-off: 2 p.m. MT

    Live Stream | Live Stats

HEAD COACH TRACY MASON SAYS

"We're looking forward to being back home this week. We've had some really good days of practice and I think we're motivated to get better. Fanfest is Thursday so we're hoping it brings in a great student section to us!"

WAC STANDINGS

The Western Athletic Conference is different from most conferences when it comes to seeding its teams, as the standings factor in non-conference play into its rankings.

Southern Utah currently holds the eighth seed in the conference. 

This week the Thunderbirds will face the Texans and Wildcats, who rank tenth and sixth overall respectively.

WAC RESUME SEEDING SYSTEM WBB UPDATE (JAN. 23, 2024)

TOP T-BIRDS

• Daylani Ballena leads the Thunderbirds' attack with 14.7 points and 3.5 assists per game.

• Freshman Ava Uhrich powers the offense with 13.1 points to go along with a team-high 7.5 rebounds each contest.

• Samantha Johnston contributes significantly for SUU, adding 7.5 points, 3.1 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game.

LAST TIME OUT

Southern Utah vs. California Baptist

First Half

The two squads got off to a hot start in the first quarter. Five players got in the scoring column for the Thunderbirds, headlined by Daylani Ballena who registered seven points on 3-3 shooting from the field. SUU managed to stay within striking distance, 17-14, with 3:36 on the clock. The Lancers used a 10-3 burst to jump in front 27-17 at the end of the period.

Alexa Lord poured in eight of the Thunderbirds' 12 points in the second frame to fuel the 'Birds attack. CBU held a 52-29 advantage at the break.

Second Half

The Lancers stayed aggressive as they extended their lead to 77-41 approaching the final quarter of play. Southern Utah saved its best for last, outscoring California Baptist 26-16 in the fourth period, with  Charli Kay registering 10 points to lead the Thunderbirds. CBU would go on to claim a 93-67 victory.

SCOUTING REPORT: TARLETON STATE TEXANS

• Tarleton is currently 4-12 on the season with a 1-6 mark in WAC play.

• The Texans average 61.3 points per game, while their opponents score 65.3 points.

• Jakoriah Long leads the Texans with 10.8 points per game.

• Faith Acker averages 6.3 rebounds each game, while Nykesha Sanders distributes 1.7 assists per contest.

SCOUTING REPORT: ABILENE CHRISTIAN WILDCATS

• Abilene Christian owns an 8-8 record with a 4-3 conference effort.

• The Wildcats score 71.1 points per game, while holding their opponents to only 67.1 points.

• Payton Hull (15.0) leads four Wildcats in double-figure scoring.

• Bella Earle averages a team-high 8.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

HISTORY

• Southern Utah owns a 2-0 all-time series lead against Tarleton State.

• SUU has only faced off against Abilene Christian once, with the Wildcats earning a narrow victory in overtime last season.

FOLLOW US

For all the latest on Southern Utah women's basketball, follow @SUUWBasketball on Twitter and Instagram and like the Southern Utah Women's Basketball Facebook page.

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