STEP RIGHT UP
    The TexAnns will face Southeastern Oklahoma for the third time this season and in the first round of the NCAA Division II tournament.  The contest will take place at 12 p.m. in Tahlequah, Okla. at the South Central Region tournament.  Tarleton will look to hold of a Savage Storm that is looking for revenge after being eliminated by the TexAnns in the first round of the LSC Tournament last week.

ONE GAME AWAY...
    Tarleton is coming off a tough loss to Central Oklahoma in the semi-finals of the LSC Tournament and is hoping to continue their streak this season of not losing back-to-back games.  If victorious, the TexAnns will advance to the second round and face the winner of LSC Tourney champions Texas Woman's and Northwest Missouri St.

INTO THE RANKINGS
    Tarleton was ranked No. 20 in the most recent USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division II poll, in accordance with the American Basketball Coaches Association.   The TexAnns dropped two spots from No. 18 after their loss to UCO in the LSC Tourney.  Tarleton still makes it nine straight weeks in the top 25 poll.
    The TexAnns were also ranked No. 3 in the final South Central regional poll released Monday.  They trail only Northeastern State and Northwest Missouri St. in the region.

LEADING THE TEXANNS
    Shelby Adamson leads the TexAnns in scoring with 16.0 points per game to go along with 3.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game.  Morgan Stehling is contributing 9.9 points each contest, Kelsey Benford adding 7.7 points each game.
    Kiara Wright leads the TexAnns with 7.7 rebounds per game, but averages 8.9 in LSC games.  Benford is second on the team with 6.3 rebounds per game.  Sonya Sundberg is also a vital contributor with 97 assists and 45 steals.

TEXANN SHOOTING
    Tarleton is averaging .418 from the floor, .308 from the three-point arc and .688 from the charity stripe.  In LSC play, the TexAnns are shooting .435 from the floor, .321 from deep, and .683 from the line.

SHOOTING DEFENSE
    The TexAnns are holding opponents to .380 from the field, .315 from behind the arc and .649 from the line.

OUTING THE OPPONENTS
    Tarleton is outscoring foes 72.4 to 59.5 and outrebounding them 37.8 to 35.5 this season.

NOW ON SPECIAL
    Shelby Adamson leads the nation at the Division II level in free throws attempted with 247.  She is also second in the nation in free throws made with 197.  She trails only Samantha Murphy from Grand Canyon, who has hit 219 free throws.
    Both Adamson's free throws made and free throws shatter Tarleton school records by 60+ in both categories.

IN THE CONFERENCE
    The TexAnns are No. 2 in the Lone Star Conference in scoring defense (59.6) behind Northeastern State (54.5).  The TexAnns are No. 1 in the LSC in scoring margin (+12.8) and are No. 3 in the league in scoring offense (72.4) behind Central Oklahoma (75.1).
    Tarleton is No. 1 in turnover margin (+5.07) after being No. 1 with 10.0 steals per game.  The TexAnns are No. 5 in assist/turnover ratio (0.8).
    The TexAnns are also No. 1 in offensive rebound percentage (.373), and No. 2 in offensive rebounds per game (14.1).

INDIVIDUALS IN THE LSC
    Shelby Adamson is No. 9 in the Lone Star Conference in scoring (16.0) while Kiara Wright is No. 7 in rebounding (7.7) and Kelsey Benford is No. 16 (6.3).
    Adamson is No. 3 in steals per game (2.1) and No. 7 in assists (3.6), while Sonya Sundberg is No. 1 in assist/turnover ratio (1.9) and No. 8 in assists (3.5).  Benford is also No. 5 in blocks per game (1.5). 

SCOUTING THE SAVAGE STORM
    Southeastern Oklahoma is 20-7 on the year and 10-4 in the Lone Star Conference North Division.  They are 0-1 on neutral courts with that lone loss coming at the hands of the TexAnns.
    As a team, the Savage Storm are shooting 41.4 percent from the floor, 34.8 percent from behind the arc, and an impressive 76.2 percent from the free throw line.  They average 73.1 points per game while giving up just 68.7 points to opposing teams.
    SEOKU has struggled with their possession though, recording a -2.6 turnover margin this season.  They make up for it though with a +4.6 rebounding margin and a 42.5 rebounds per game.
    Christin Nichols leads the way with 11.6 points per game, while Bailey Welch adds 10.3 and Nikki Nester adds 9.6 points per game.  Nester averages 5.6 boards per game to lead the Savage Storm.  Welch has 123 assists on the season to go along with 24 steals and 3.4 boards per game.

SEOKU IN THE LSC
    The Savage Storm towards the top of the Lone Star Conference in the majority of statistical categories, including No. 2 in scoring offense (73.1).  That helps SEOKU to have the No. 6 scoring margin in the LSC (+4.5).
    They also lead the league in free-throw percentage (.762), are No. 2 in three-point percentage (.348), and have the best rebounding margin in the LSC (+4.6).
    SEOKU leads the LSC in assists with 16.1 per game and defensive rebounds with 30.4 per game.
    Individually, Nichols is No. 22 in scoring (11.8) and No. 10 in field goal percentage (.492).  Welch leads the league in assists (4.6), while Nester and Welch are both in the top five in free throw percentage.  Welch also is the LSC's best three-point shooter with a .447 average.

ALL-TIME SERIES
    The TexAnns lead the Savage Storm in the all-time series 14-12.
    SEOKU picked up a one-point victory over Tarleton earlier in the season in Stephenville on a last second shot, but the TexAnns were the most recent victors with a two-point win in the first round of the Lone Star Conference tournament in Bartlesville, Okla.
    SEOKU does have a slight advantage after winning six of the last eight meetings between the two teams.

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, rattling off six-plus game win streaks after their first two defeats.  Tarleton will look to continue that with a victory over Southeastern Oklahoma in the first round of the South Central region tournament.

BACK TO THE POSTSEASON
    The TexAnns had made the last seven Lone Star Conference Championship Tournaments, and this year's team just recently began the eighth trip in as many seasons.  With Tarleton's win over the Lady Buffs, they secured at least a share of the regular season South Division title and in turn, a trip to the LSC tournament in Bartlesville, Oklahoma on March 2.  On Feb. 19, the TexAnns defeated A&M-Kingsville, clinching sole possession of the South Division title.
    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.  This year, Tarleton won just its second postseason game when they defeated Southeastern Oklahoma by two-points in the first round of the 2010-11 LSC Tournament.
    Tarleton has made three NCAA  DII South Central Region appearances, 2006, 2010 and 2011.  The TexAnns are not satisfied with just qualifying for the regional in 2011, but will be looking to win for the first time in history.
    Last year, the TexAnns were defeated by eventual national champion Emporia State in the opening round of the regional tournament, 90-71.

TARLETON VS. THE LSC
    Tarleton has achieved a 3-3 record against South Central region qualifying teams this season.  The TexAnns picked up victories over Southeastern Oklahoma, Texas Woman's and Central Oklahoma, while dropping games to Southeastern Oklahoma, Central Oklahoma and top-seeded Northeastern State.


Live Stats are available on Northeastern State's website while you can listen to the game courtesy of KSTV 93.1 FM.