STEP RIGHT UP
    The TexAnns host rival West Texas A&M on Wednesday in Wisdom Gym for the second round of Lone Star Conference match-ups.  The Lady Buffs are 14-9 on the season and 7-3 in the LSC South, trailing only Tarleton.  The TexAnns are 19-2 on the year and a perfect 9-0 in conference play.  Tarleton has won their last nine games and will look to make it 10 in a row on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

INTO THE RANKINGS
    Tarleton was ranked No. 19 in the most recent USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division II poll, in accordance with the American Basketball Coaches Association.  This marks the highest ranking for TexAnn program since moving to Division II.  The TexAnns were ranked No. 21 last week and have been in the Top 25 for the past six weeks.
    The TexAnns were also ranked No. 2 in the most recent South Central regional poll released last Wednesday.  They trail only Northeastern State in the region.  This also marks the highest ever regional ranking in the program's history.

LEADING THE PACK
    The TexAnns remain on top of the LSC South standings with a perfect 9-0 record.  Tarleton holds wins over ACU, ASU, UIW (2), ENMU (2), WTAMU, TAMUK and MSU.  The TexAnns are entering the second round of games with those teams.

LEADING THE TEXANNS
    Shelby Adamson is the leading scorer on the year with 16.2 points per game, followed by Morgan Stehling (10.2) and Brittnie Haley (9.1).  
    Kiara Wright is the team's leading rebounder with 7.4 boards each contest, while Kelsey Benford chips in 6.3 rebounds and Haley chips in 4.8 rebounds per game.      
    Adamson and Sonya Sundberg are the main facilitators with 3.9 and 3.7 assists per game respectively.  

TEXANN SHOOTING
    Tarleton is averaging .433 from the floor, .323 from the three-point arc and .682 from the charity stripe.  In conference play, the TexAnns are shooting .459 from the floor, .333 from deep, and .681 from the line.

SHOOTING DEFENSE
    The TexAnns are holding opponents to .379 from the field, .330 from behind the arc and .632 from the line

OUTING THE OPPONENTS
    Tarleton is outscoring foes 73.5 to 58.4 and outrebounding them 37.6 to 34.6 this season.

NOW ON SPECIAL
    Tarleton is currently amidst a nine-game win streak, breaking their previous season high of six set between Dec. 4 and Jan. 6.  Both streaks have come after losses to Southeastern Oklahoma (Dec. 2) and Northeastern State (Jan. 8).

VETERAN LEADERSHIP
    Tarleton junior guard was named LSC Defensive Player of the Week this week for the third time this season.  
    Adamson played a major role in the TexAnns' two win last week, guarding both Incarnate Word and Eastern New Mexico's dangerous point guards. Adamson held the two players to a combined 1-for-12 in the two games, while helping Tarleton hold opponents to just 36.6 percent from the field and 60 points on average. She also chipped in 10.5 points per game and eight assists over the two-game stretch. Her defensive prowess is a big reason the TexAnns are 19-2 on the year.
    She joins Wright as a three-time POW, while Kelsey Benford has been named twice this season.

IN THE CONFERENCE
    The TexAnns are No. 2 in the Lone Star Conference in scoring defense (58.4) behind Northeastern State (54.7).  The TexAnns are No. 1 in the LSC in scoring margin (+15.0) and are No. 3 in the league in scoring offense (73.5) behind Central Oklahoma (75.2).
    Tarleton is No. 1 in turnover margin (+5.29) after being No. 1 with 9.5 steals per game.  The TexAnns are No. 4 in assist/turnover ratio (0.9).
    The TexAnns are also No. 1 in offensive rebound percentage (.379), and No. 5 in blocks (3.3).

INDIVIDUALS IN THE LSC
    Shelby Adamson is No. 7 in the Lone Star Conference in scoring (16.2) while Kiara Wright is tied at No. 9 in rebounding (7.4) and Kelsey Benford is No. 18 (6.3).
    Adamson is tied at No. 1 in steals per game (2.3) and No. 6 in assists (3.9), while Sonya Sundberg is No. 1 in assist/turnover ratio (2.0) and No. 8 in assists (3.7).  Benford is also No. 4 in blocks per game (1.6).  

CROWDED AT HOME
    The TexAnns lead the league in home attendance average.  Tarleton is averaging 1,651 fans at home in its eleven home games this season. Tarleton has also played in front of more fans than anyone else in the LSC – 24,546.

SCOUTING THE LADY BUFFS
    West Texas A&M is 14-9 overall, but 7-3 in the Lone Star Conference, good enough for second place behind Tarleton in the South Division standings.  The Lady Buffs are 7-6 on the road, while the TexAnns are 10-1 at home this season.
    As a team, WTAMU is shooting 45.6 percent from the field, 30.2 percent from behind the arc and 66.5 percent from the free throw line.  They average 69.3 points per game, while giving up 64.4 points to opponents, who shoot 41.2 percent against the Lady Buffs.
    Jamie Simmons is leading WTAMU this season with 17.6 points per game, followed by Ariel Robertson with 11.8 points and Megan McClain with 9.4 points.  Reigning LSC Player of the Year Joni Unruh was averaging 14.7 points before going down in the third game of the year with a season-ending injury.
    Simmons also leads the Lady Buffs with 8.1 rebounds per game while Casey Land dishes out 3.6 assists per game.

WTAMU IN THE LSC
    The Lady Buffs are No. 6 in the conference in scoring margin (+4.9) with their No. 5 scoring defense and No. 6 scoring offense.
    WTAMU is No. 2 in the conference however, with a 45.6 field goal percentage, trailing only Northeastern State (46.4).
    The Lady Buffs also have the No. 4 rebounding margin in the LSC (+3.2) thanks to their first-ranked rebounding defense (33.0).
    Simmons is No. 4 in the conference in scoring with 17.6 points each contest and No. 6 in rebounding with 8.1 boards per game.  She also leads the LSC with a 58.0 percent field goal percentage.  Robertson is No. 23 in scoring (11.8), while Land is No. 9 with 3.6 assists per game.

ALL-TIME SERIES
    WTAMU leads the all-time series 5-26, but it was Tarleton who picked up a 21-point win earlier this season in Canyon, their first time doing so since 2002.