GAME DAY INFORMATION

When: Monday, Dec. 14, 2015 | 7:30 p.m.

Where: Stephenville, Texas | Wisdom Gym

Records: Tarleton 7-1, 0-0 LSC | UTPB 6-2, 0-0 Heartland

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Follow the Action: Live Stats | Game Notes

Tarleton Sports Network: Pregame Show at 7:15 p.m. | Listen Online

Watch Online: TarletonSports.com/ListenLive

THE GAME
The No. 8-ranked Texans will take on University of Texas-Permian Basin on Monday, December 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Wisdom Gym.
 
THE BROADCAST
Each game will have a live radio broadcast presented by the Tarleton Sports Network presented by North Texas Ford Dealers. The Voice of the Texans, Casey Hogan, will be back calling 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 OPPONENT: TEXAS PERMIAN-BASIN
UTPB is 6-2 on the season and comes in on a six-game winning streak. The Falcons average 97.8 points per game and have topped 100 points four times this season. UTPB lost to LSC member A&M-Kingsville 79-77 to open the season and CSU-Pueblo, Tarleton's only loss, 96-90. The Falcons defeated Division I UTSA 90-85 on Nov. 29. UTPB has four players averaging double-digit points, led by Billy Dee Williams with 20.4 points per game.
 
THE SERIES: TEXAS-PERMIAN BASIN
Tarleton is 5-0 all time against UTPB since the series started in 2006. All five games have been played in Stephenville with the Texans winning the most recent match up 60-46 back in 2012. Tarleton is averaging 75.6 points per game in the series while holding UTPB to 52.2 points.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Tarleton defeated NAIA No. 25 Our Lady of the Lake 82-73 to improve to 7-1 on the season and extended its winning streak to three.
 
LSC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
EJ Reed was named the LSC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. Reed had a pair of 25-point games in the two wins. Reed scored 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting and pulled down 11 rebounds in a 97-46 rout over Arlington Baptist on Tuesday. Reed added another 25 points on 9-of-11 from the floor and seven rebounds in an 82-73 win over NAIA No. 25 Our Lady of the Lake. Reed shot 70 percent from the floor, 67 percent on 3-pointers, and 88 percent from the free-throw line last week.
 
LEADING THE CONFERENCE
EJ Reed leads the Lone Star Conference in scoring (22.3 points per game), rebounds (9.0) and field goal percentage (.681). Michael Hardge is tops in assists per game with 5.3. After recording seven steals in the last two games, Charles Hill leads the LSC in steals per game with 1.9.
 
NCAA TEAM STAT LEADERS
The Texans ranked third in the nation in scoring margin per game at 20.8. Tarleton has three wins by 10+ points and two wins by 40+. Tarleton is also 14th in the nation in turnovers forced per game with 18.75.
 
REISMAN IN DECEMBER
Lonn Reisman enters the month of December with six games on the schedule. His all-time record for the Christmas month is 100-36 for a winning percentage of .735. The Texans have won 15 straight games in December.
 
TEXANS AT HOME
In Coach Reisman's 28 seasons at Tarleton State, the Texans have amassed a total record of 381-63 including a record of 163-15 (.916) with two undefeated home seasons since 2005. The Texans went 20-1 at Wisdom Gym last season.
 
CLIMBING UP THE RECORD CHART
4-year Texan Michael Hardge, who has 238 career assists, passed LaShon Sheffield for No. 14 on the all-time assists list. Hardge needs 23 assists to move to No. 13 and pass Corin Henry.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
- Michael Hardge is 30 points from 700 in his career.
- EJ Reed is 17 points from 500 in his career.
- Malcolm Hamilton is 2 points from 400 in his career.
- Nosa Ebomwonyi is 22 points from 200 in his career.
- Michael Hardge is 12 assists from 250 in his career.
- EJ Reed is 6 rebounds from 200 in his career.
- Malcolm Hamilton is 4 steals from 50 in his career.
 
SENIOR SUCCESS
When seniors Michael Hardge and EJ Reed are in the starting lineup together, the Texans have a record of 26-3 (.896).
 
DEFENDING THE PAINT
Xavier Smith leads the Texans with 14 blocks this season and has blocked at least one shot in seven straight games.
 
20 POINTS A NIGHT
EJ Reed is averaging 22.3 points per game. Tarleton hasn't had a player average 20 per game since Brandon Burney averaged 22.1 in 2000-01. The Tarleton record is 23.6 points per game by Steve Dean in 1968-69. Reed is currently tied for third with Sean Walker (1994) for the single-season scoring average.
 
SUPER START
Since being inserted into the starting lineup four games ago, Malcolm Hamilton is averaging 17.5 points on 58% shooting, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.8 steals per game. In that 4-game span, Hamilton has recorded three straight double-doubles, the only three of his career.
 
NABC HISTORY
Of the 103 weeks in the NABC rankings, Tarleton has spent 67 of those weeks in the top 10, 43 in the top 5 and nine weeks at No. 1.
 
CHASING 600
Head Coach Lonn Reisman enters the game with 596 career wins in 28 seasons at Tarleton (617 overall). Reisman is sixth on the active NCAA Division II head coaches' win list.
 
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
Tarleton will head to Las Vegas for a pair of games against Rollins and Drury on December 18-19.