PLAYING HOSTS
    The TexAnns will welcome Lone Star Conference newcomer Incarnate Word, who is 5-9 overall, and 1-1 in their first season in the South Division.  The Cardinals join the LSC after spending the previous years as a member of the Heartland Conference in NAIA.  Tarleton is 12-2 on the season, 2-0 in conference play, and a very effective 7-1 in Wisdom Gym this season.

ROAD WARRIORS
    Tarleton has just completed a series of games in Edmond, Okla., Tahlequah, Okla., and Abilene, where they covered 1,021 miles of road en route to and from the contests.  That marks their second longest travel stretch of the season, trailing only the TexAnns' upcoming trips to Canyon and Portales, N.M. starting Saturday.

LEADING THE PACK
    The TexAnns are sitting atop of the Lone Star Conference South Division standings with a 12-2 record, 2-0 in conference play.   West Texas A&M is the closest team to Tarleton with a 9-6 record, and a 2-0 mark in LSC action this season.

LEADING THE TEXANNS
    Throughout the season, Shelby Adamson has led the TexAnns in scoring with 18.9 points per game, followed by Morgan Stehling with 10.6 points per game and Brittnie Haley with 8.1 points per game.  In conference play so far, Adamson is averaging 21.5 points per game, while Tara Towns, who started the season recovering from an injury, has caught fire averaging 11.5 points per contest.
    Kiara Wright continues to lead Tarleton with 6.6 rebounds per game to go along with her 6.6 points per game, while Kelsey Benford chips in 6.5 rebounds and 7.5 boards a game.

SUNDBERG'S STREAK
    This past Saturday, senior guard Sonya Sundberg made her 100th consecutive start for the TexAnns since joining the team in 2007.  Sundberg has started in every game she has played at Tarleton and has been the one constant for Coach Hearne and his staff over the last four years.

TEXANN SHOOTING
    Tarleton is averaging .412 from the floor, .318 from the three-point arc and .673 from the charity stripe.

SHOOTING DEFENSE
    The TexAnns are holding opponents to .398 from the field, .333 from the arc and .673 from the line

OUTING THE OPPONENTS
    Tarleton is outscoring foes 71.2 to 59.6 and outrebounding them 37.8 to 36.9 this season.

NOW ON SPECIAL
    Tarleton is outscoring conference opponents 70.0 to 56.0 points per game, while forcing opponents to commit 5.9 more turnovers per game.

IN THE CONFERENCE
    The TexAnns are No. 2 in the Lone Star Conference in scoring defense (59.7) behind Northeastern State (54.6).  The TexAnns are No. 2 in the LSC in scoring margin (+11.5) and are No. 4 in the league in scoring offense (71.2) behind Southeastern Oklahoma (75.2).
    Tarleton is No. 1 in turnover margin (+5.86) after being No. 2 with 9.1 steals per game.  The TexAnns are No. 5 in assist/turnover ratio (0.9).
    The TexAnns are No. 2 in offensive rebound percentage (.367), trailing just Southwestern Oklahoma (.372).  Tarleton is also tied for No.2 in blocks (3.9).

INDIVIDUALS IN THE LSC
    Shelby Adamson is third in the Lone Star Conference in scoring (18.9) while Kiara Wright is No. 15 in rebounding (6.6) and Kelsey Benford is No. 17 (6.5).
    Adamson is No. 1 in steals per game (2.5) and No. 6 in assists (4.1), while Sonya Sundberg is No. 3 in assist/turnover ratio (1.6).  Benford is also No. 4 in blocks per game (1.7)

CROWDED AT HOME
    The TexAnns lead the league in home attendance average.  Tarleton is averaging 1,368 fans at home in its seven home games this season. Tarleton has also played in front of more fans than anyone else in the LSC – 14,113.

NOW THAT'S A LOT OF POINTS
    The 95 points scored in Tarleton's 95-50 win over East Central earlier this season is the most points scored on a Lone Star Conference team since Tarleton won 97-80 over Texas A&M-Commerce on Feb. 23, 2002 in Stephenville.
    The 95 points is also the second highest total ever scored on an LSC team by the TexAnns since Tarleton joined the league in 1994-95.

SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
    Incarnate Word is just 5-9 in their first season in the LSC, and 3-4 away from home.  The Cardinals are 1-1 in the South Division, with their lone conference win coming in a 64-47 beatdown of A&M-Kingsville Saturday.
    UIW is led offensively by Chloe Wallace and her 11.2 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game.  Katy Cooke adds 10.8 points a contest, while Ifunanya Mora adds 10.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest.
    As a team, the Cardinals are scoring just 60.5 points per game while giving up 68.3 points to opponents.  UIW is shooting 37.9 percent from the field, 28.3 from three-point land, and 68.5 from the charity stripe.

UIW IN THE LSC
    The Cardinals have struggled through the early parts of the season, but have made a few positive steps towards being a dangerous conference opponent for years to come.
    UIW is No.8 in the conference in scoring defense (68.3), but just No. 15 in scoring offense (60.5).  The Cardinals are No. 6 in free-throw percentage (.685), ahead of No. 7 Tarleton (.673).
    Individually, Wallace is No. 29 in scoring (11.2), while Mora is No. 9 (7.3) in rebounding and Wallace is No. 16 (6.6).  Cooke is No. 8 in assists (3.8) and No. 5 in free-throw percentage (.843).

ALL-TIME SERIES
    Tarleton leads the all-time series 11-8, but it is Incarnate Word with the most recent success in the series.  The Cardinals have won seven of the last nine meetings.
    In 2008, UIW defeated the TexAnns in San Antonio 77-53, handing Tarleton a 24-point loss.
    The TexAnns' last win in the series came at home on Nov. 20, 2007 as Tarleton defeated UIW 53-45.


LET THE REAL GAMES BEGIN
    Since division play started in 1997-98, the TexAnns have gone 95-87.  However, since Coach Ronnie Hearne has took over in 2003-04, Tarleton has gone 61-31, good for a .663 winning percentage.  Behind this record, the TexAnns have been to seven straight LSC Tournaments and are looking to make it eight.

NO BACK-TO-BACK
    The 2009-10 Tarleton TexAnns did not lose back-to-back games during the regular season.  The only back-to-back losses came in round two of the LSC tournament and round one of the South Central Region tournament.  The 2010-11 TexAnns have yet to lose back-to-back games as well.

LOOKING FOR A RETURN
    The TexAnns have made the last seven Lone Star Conference Championship Tournaments, and this year's team would like to make that eight straight.
    Last season, the TexAnns secured the program's first postseason victory in NCAA Division II with a 71-66 win over Texas Woman's in the first round.  Tarleton lost to Northeastern State in the semifinals, 74-62.
    Tarleton has made two NCAA Division II South Central Region appearances, 2006 and 2010.  The TexAnns are looking not only to return to the regional in 2011, but they want to win once they get there – which would be another first in the program's history.
    Last year, the TexAnns were defeated by eventual national champion Emporia State in the opening round of the regional tournament, 90-71.

HEARNE AT THE HELM
    The TexAnns are 135-76 in head coach Ronnie Hearne's seven-plus seasons.  Hearne is the winningest coach for the TexAnns since the school joined the Lone Star Conference in 1994-95. 

The game will be broadcast on KSTV 93.1 FM and live stats will be available at TarletonSports.com.