GAME DAY INFORMATION (CONCORDIA-IRVINE)

When: Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 | 5 p.m.

Where:Stephenville, Texas | Wisdom Gym

Records:Tarleton 0-0, 0-0 LSC | Concordia-Irvine 0-0, 0-0 PWC

GAME DAY INFORMATION (TEXAS A&M-INTERNATIONAL)

When:Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015 | 5 p.m.

Where:Stephenville, Texas | Wisdom Gym

Records:Tarleton 0-0, 0-0 LSC | A&M-International 0-0, 0-0 HEARTLAND

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THE GAMES
Tarleton will open the season with the third annual Whataburger TexAnn Tip-Off Classic at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville Friday and Saturday. The TexAnns will welcome Concordia-Irvine and Texas A&M International, as well as Texas A&M-Kingsville, to town for the two-day, four-team tournament beginning Friday at 5 p.m.
 
THE BROADCAST
The game will have a live radio broadcast presented by the Tarleton Sports Network presented by North Texas Ford Dealers. The Voice of the TexAnns, Keltin Wiens, will serve as the play-by-play for Tarleton basketball this season. The radio broadcast can be heard on KTRL 90.5 FM in Stephenville and surrounding areas or online at TarletonSports.com/ListenLive. The pregame show will begin 15 minutes prior to tip-off.
 
THE OPPONENT: UCI
When the Eagles of Concordia-Irvine take the floor on Nov. 13 against Tarleton, it will be the first NCAA basketball game in its program. CUI is coming off a 23-7 season in their final year at the NAIA level, in which they qualified for the NAIA National Championship, finished ranked No. 9 in the nation, and had two All-Americans in the second season under head coach Trisha Stafford-Odom.
 
THE OPPONENT: TAMIU
A year removed from qualifying for the South Central Regional Tournament, Texas A&M International looks to get back to the NCAA postseason following a 13-13 campaign last season. The Dustdevils finished off their .500 season last year in thrilling fashion, carrying momentum into the offseason after defeating Heartland Conference champion Lubbock Christian in the finale.
 
THE SERIES: UCI
Tarleton and Concordia-Irvine will meet for the first time in school history to open the 2015-16 season.
 
THE SERIES: TAMIU
Tarleton and Texas A&M International will square off for the fourth time in school history and the first time since meeting in the opening round of the 2014 NCAA South Central Regional Tournament in Canyon. The TexAnns have won all three previous meetings against Texas A&M International, dating back to the inaugural meeting in 2003.
 
PRESEASON RANKINGS
Tarleton State was picked to finish fifth in the Lone Star Conference preseason rankings during the LSC's Online Basketball Media Day in October. The TexAnns received 135 total votes, which was just behind Cameron (140) and ahead of Texas A&M-Commerce (128). West Texas A&M, Texas Woman's, and Midwestern State were named the top three in the poll.
 
DROPPIN' DIMES
Morgan Ashmore enters the 2015-16 season with 244 career assists, which currently has her at No. 12 on the all-time list. She is 38 assists away from taking over the No. 11 spot from Jenn Doroga (281) and 47 assists shy of jumping into the top 10 by passing Tina Proctor (290).
 
DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Junior Ikpeaku Iwobi is currently the only
TexAnn to record a double-double in any game this season, having done so on 10 different occasions.
IMPROVING ON IMPRESSIVE ROOKIE YEAR
In her first season at the helm, Misty Wilson put together the best season of a rookie head coach at Tarleton since the school became an NCAA institution in 1994. Wilson won 17 games in her first year, topping Ronnie Hearne's 14 wins in his first year with Tarleton in 2003.
 
TARLETON IN THE CLASSIC
This is the third season of the annual TexAnn Tip-Off Classic, which began in 2013. Tarleton is 3-1 in their home-opening tournament all-time and 1-1 in the classic under Wilson.
 
NEW FACES
Tarleton added five fresh faces to the mix this offseason, primarily at the guard position. Karah Sicurella (Sunnyvale HS), Nia Jackson (Mansfield Summit HS), and Shelby Mankins (Joshua HS) join the TexAnn back court while Catherine Okwilagwe (Lakeview Centennial HS) is Tarleton's lone post addition this offseason. Shelby Drews, a guard from Decatur, is also in her first season with Tarleton and is expected to redshirt as a true freshman.
 
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
Tarleton will return to action on November 18 in Wisdom Gym against Our Lady of the Lake at 5:30 p.m.