CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah women's basketball team will travel to Texas for its 6:00 p.m. showdown with Tarleton State on Jan. 15. The 11-5 Thunderbirds stand at 3-1 in the Western Athletic Conference, and will face a struggling 7-8 Tarleton State team that is 1-3 in the conference.

Head Coach Tracy Mason said:

"We're excited for this next road trip, starting with a tough Tarleton team on Thursday. I think we have a group that wants to prove we can be just as competitive on the road as we have been at home."

Game Details

Who: Southern Utah (11-5, 3-1 WAC) vs Tarleton State (7-8, 1-3 WAC)

When: Thursday, January 15, at 6:00 p.m.

Where: America First Event Center

Watch: ESPN+

Live Stats: HERE

Matchup History

• SUU holds a 2-5 all-time record against Tarleton State and will aim to snap a five-game losing streak against the Texans on Thursday. In their last matchup, TSU eliminated the Thunderbirds from the WAC tournament with a 59-40 win.

The Thunderbirds

After taking an overtime loss in the battle of undefeated WAC teams, Southern Utah now holds a strong 3-1 conference record and an 11-5 overall record. They currently stand third in the WAC, only one non-conference game behind Abilene Christian, with whom they will face on Saturday.

The Thunderbirds have dominated the offensive side of the ball, posting a WAC-high 77 points per game. They've cemented themselves as the most consistently accurate shooting team in the conference, ranking second in field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three-point field goal percentage. In addition, they lead the WAC in assists with 16 per game and rebounds with 43.9 per game.

This intense rebounding effort — buoyed in large part by the addition of transfer Brooklyn Fely and a breakout campaign on the boards for junior Ava Uhrich — has led to an impressive +10.7 margin over their opponents. In conference games, Uhrich averages a WAC-high 12.8 rebounds, and Fely brings down an average of nine boards. 

Adding to her accolades, Uhrich now has the second-most double-doubles in the WAC with seven, and is the first player to win WAC Player of the Week honors more than once.

Balancing out a strong presence in the paint, sophomore Sierra Chambers has emerged as an excellent facilitator and scorer for Southern Utah. Since starting conference play, she has averaged 17.5 points per game, which places her second in the WAC. She also averages 3.8 assists per game.

Scouting Report

Tarleton State Texans

The 7-8 Texans have started conference play at 1-3. However, all three of their losses have come on the road. They will return home to Stephenville with hopes to right the ship against a tough Thunderbirds team.

Tarleton State has seen struggles on both sides of the ball, averaging 66.5 points scored and 66.6 points allowed per game. Since starting WAC play, they've been defensively exceptional in the paint with a conference-high 6.5 blocks per game.

Forming a two-headed snake for the Texans, senior Gia Adams and junior Shadasia Brackens average 11.8 and 11.6 points, respectively. Adams leads the team with 3.5 assists per game, while Brackens brings down a team-high 7.7 boards per game.

Tickets

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