SEPERATING FROM THE PACK
    Tarleton will head to Canyon Wednesday, Jan. 26 for what will be the biggest game for the TexAnns to date this season as the Lady Buffs share first place in the South Division standings with Tarleton.  West Texas A&M is 11-6 on the year, but 4-0 in LSC play and 4-2 at home.

INTO THE RANKINGS
    Tarleton is ranked No. 23 in this week's USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division II poll, in accordance with the American Basketball Coaches Association.  The TexAnns improved on last week's ranking of No. 25 with a pair of wins over Incarnate Word and Eastern New Mexico.

LEADING THE PACK
    The TexAnns are tied for first place atop the South Division standings, with West Texas A&M also posting a 4-0 conference mark.  Tarleton is 14-2 on the season and winners of their last four contests.

LEADING THE TEXANNS
    Shelby Adamson, last week's LSC South Offensive Player of the Week, continues to lead the TexAnns in scoring with 18.3 points per game to go along with her 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game.  Morgan Stehling is contributing 10.4 points per contest, while Morgan Stehling dishes out 3.3 assists as part of her 1.7 assist-turnover ratio.
    Kiara Wright, the reigning LSC South Defensive Player of the Week, remains the team's leading rebounder with 7.1 boards per game coming off a 15-rebound performance in Portales.  Kelsey Benford is adding 6.1 rebounds per game, while Brittnie Haley is providing 8.8 points and 5.2 boards per game.

TEXANN SHOOTING
    Tarleton is averaging .412 from the floor, .314 from the three-point arc and .690 from the charity stripe.  In conference play, the TexAnns are shooting .405 from the floor, .308 from deep, and .709 from the line.

SHOOTING DEFENSE
    The TexAnns are holding opponents to .393 from the field, .338 from the arc and .630 from the line

OUTING THE OPPONENTS
    Tarleton is outscoring foes 71.4 to 59.1 and outrebounding them 37.6 to 36.3 this season.

NOW ON SPECIAL
    Tarleton has a league-leading +12.3 scoring margin through 16 games thus far in 2010-11.  That is almost nine points higher than WTAMU's margin of +3.7

WRIGHT PLACE, WRIGHT TIME
    Tarleton freshman Kiara Wright is one of the top freshmen in the Lone Star Conference after being named LSC South Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.  Wright is leading the team in rebounding (7.1) and is averaging 6.7 points per game.

IN THE CONFERENCE
    The TexAnns are No. 2 in the Lone Star Conference in scoring defense (59.1) behind Northeastern State (55.2).  The TexAnns are No. 1 in the LSC in scoring margin (+12.3) and are No. 3 in the league in scoring offense (71.4) behind Central Oklahoma (75.8).
    Tarleton is No. 1 in turnover margin (+6.25) after being No. 1 with 9.6 steals per game.  The TexAnns are tied for No. 2 in assist/turnover ratio (0.9).
    The TexAnns are also No. 2 in offensive rebounds per game (14.5), trailing just A&M-Commerce (15.6).  Tarleton is No.3 in blocks (3.4) as well.

INDIVIDUALS IN THE LSC
    Shelby Adamson is tied for third in the Lone Star Conference in scoring (18.3) while Kiara Wright is No. 11 in rebounding (7.1) and Kelsey Benford is No. 20 (6.1).
    Adamson is No. 1 in steals per game (2.5) and No. 4 in assists (4.0), while Sonya Sundberg is No. 2 in assist/turnover ratio (1.7).  Benford is also No. 5 in blocks per game (1.5)

SCOUTING THE LADY BUFFS
    West Texas A&M IS 11-6 on the year and 4-0 in LSC South Division play.  The Lady Buffs are also 4-2 at home in the First United Bank Center, and have won five of their last six contests.
    WTAMU had their leading scorer and preseason LSC Player of the Year Joni Unruh go down earlier this season with an injury, leaving the rest of the Lady Buffs to make up for her 13.8 points per game.  Jamie Simmons has answered the call with 18.3 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game, while Ariel Robertson and Megan McLain both chip in 11.1 points per game for WTAMU.
    Overall, the Lady Buffs average 70.6 points per game while allowing opponents to score 66.9 points per contest.  WTAMU is shooting 47.3 percent from the floor, 29.7 percent from deep, and 66.4 percent from the free throw line.

WTAMU IN THE LSC
    The Lady Buffs have been successful despite their early-season injuries.  They rank No. 6 in scoring margin (+3.7), but No. 1 in field goal percentage with 47.3 percent.
    WTAMU's few losses have come from their inability to stop opposing teams, allowing the second worst opponents field goal percentage with 42.3 percent.
    As the reigning LSC South Offensive Player of the Week, Simmons is third in the conference in scoring (18.3), tied with Tarleton's Shelby Adamson, who was last week's Off. Player of the Week.  Simmons is also No. 6 in rebounding (8.2), and leads the conference in field goal percentage with 59.9 percent.

ALL-TIME SERIES
    West Texas A&M leads the all-time series by a landslide with 26 wins in 30 tries.  Three of Tarleton's four wins have come at home in Stephenville.
    The last time the TexAnns went into Canyon and won was Feb. 14, 2002 by a score of 64-61.
    The Lady Buffs have won the last nine meetings between the teams and the last six in Canyon.
    Tarleton will look to extend pick up just their second win in Canyon in 16 years of the rivalry.

BAGS ARE PACKED
    Traveling well, Tarleton is 6-1 on the road this season.  The TexAnns have picked up road wins at Cameron, Southwestern Okla., St. Mary's, Central Oklahoma, Eastern New Mexico and ACU.
    Tarleton is averaging a +9.6 scoring margin in their six wins away from home, with their lone loss being a 14-point defeat at the hands of Northeastern State.

The game can be heard on KSTV 93.1 FM and fans can follow live stats on West Texas A&M's website.  Live video will be provided courtesy WTAMU and can be found at TarletonSports.com.