AT A GLANCE 

Tarleton women's basketball can secure its first-ever win as a Division I program with a victory over Howard Payne on Saturday. The game is scheduled to tip off at 2 p.m. inside Wisdom Gym. 

The Texans and Yellow Jackets have squared off against one another 22 times, with Tarleton owning a 16-6 series advantage. Tarleton and Howard Payne most recently met in a regular season game in 1997. 

Both teams are coming off season-opening losses to Division I opponents. The Texans fell to North Texas 87-71 on Wednesday inside The Super Pit in Denton. Howard Payne opened its season with a 99-45 defeat at the hands of Abilene Christian. The Yellow Jackets finished the 2019-20 season with an 11-15 overall record under third-year head coach Yannick Denson. 

THE GAME 

Opponent: Howard Payne 
Date: Saturday, Nov. 28 at 2 p.m. CST  
Location: Wisdom Gym – Stephenville, Texas 

INSIDE THE SERIES: HOWARD PAYNE 

Wilson was a senior in high school and a year away from walking on to the TexAnn women's basketball team when the two programs last played. The TexAnns defeated the Yellow Jackets 83-57 on Dec. 13, 1997 in Brownwood in the teams' most recent game. Overall, Tarleton has won six of the last eight over the Division III Yellow Jackets, who compete as a member of the American Southwest Conference. 

GAME COVERAGE 

Links for live stats and free video stream can be found on the women's basketball schedule at TarletonSports.com. All Tarleton women's basketball home games can be seen and heard free of charge on the Tarleton Sports Network at TarletonSports.com/Watch. Kyle Crews will have the call on the new home of Tarleton women's basketball – KXTR 100.7 FM in Stephenville – and worldwide at TarletonSports.com/ListenLive. The pregame show begins 30 minutes before tipoff. 

TICKET INFORMATION 

Individual game tickets are now on sale at TarletonSports.com/Tickets. Tarleton Basketball season passes will not be sold due to the limited capacity in Wisdom Gym. Only individual game general admission tickets will be sold. Basketball Season Ticket holders will have their accounts frozen and control the rights to their seats for the following season. Texan Club issued general admission passes will be honored at all games. All individual game general admission tickets must be purchased in advance. No walk-up sales will be allowed this season. 
  
All fans must have a ticket to enter Wisdom Gym. General admission adult tickets are $10 and general admission youth tickets are $6. Children ages 7 and under are admitted free but must print a child ticket online or pick up a ticket at the Tarleton Athletic Ticket Office prior to game day. For doubleheader contests, fans are charged once to attend both games. Tarleton Students are free but must print out tickets beforehand. More information on student basketball tickets will be released soon on TarletonSports.com. 
  
Individual game general admission tickets will be available for purchase at TarletonSports.com/Tickets, in person at the Tarleton Athletic Ticket Office or by calling 254-968-1832. The Tarleton Athletic Ticket Office is located on the west side of Memorial Stadium and open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5p.m. The ticket office inside Wisdom Gym is only open on basketball game days one hour before tipoff for will call and complimentary ticket pickup. Tickets purchased online must be printed at home or displayed on a mobile device. 
  
In the event that a game is canceled, fans who purchased general admission tickets will receive a refund for that game. Refunds will be processed at the conclusion of the 2020-21 Basketball Season. 

Questions regarding basketball tickets should be directed to the Tarleton Athletic Ticket Office at tickets@tarleton.edu or 254-968-1832. 

COVID-19 POLICY 

Capacity inside all events in Wisdom Gym is limited to a maximum of 50 percent this season, per Governor Greg Abbott's Executive Order No. GA-28. All fans and staff inside Wisdom Gym must wear a face covering over the nose and mouth at all times, per Governor Abbott's Executive Order No. GA-29. 
  
For a complete list of game day protocols at Tarleton, visit TarletonSports.com/FanGuide. 

LAST TIME OUT 

The Texans fell to North Texas on Wednesday in Denton in their 2020-21 season debut by a score of 87-71 but kept the game competitive. Tarleton led 18-13 at the end of the first quarter and shot 50 percent (25-50) from the field to stay within striking distance of the Mean Green throughout the contest. Freshman guard Iyana Dorsey put forth a historic offensive effort to pace the Texans' offense. Dorsey's 18 points were a game-high, the most by a Texan player in a season-opener since 2014 and the most by a freshman under head coach Misty Wilson. 

All five starters scored in double figures for the Texas. Senior Lucy Benson matched her career-high in points with 15 while Alexa Hoy netted six field goals to finish with 12 points in her first game as Tarleton's primary ballhandler. Benson and fellow forwards Emily Cunningham (10 points) and Marissa Escamilla (10 points) combined for nearly half of the Texans' total points scored.  

Tarleton was undone by 21 total turnovers and a hot shooting by North Texas in the second quarter. After starting the game 3-17 from the field, the Mean Green drained 5-6 shots from long range to outscore the Texans 31-15 in the period and seize control of the game. The Texans were also limited to just three assists, the lowest total by a Wilson-coached team. 

TARLETON IN HOME-OPENERS 

The Texans are a 5-1 in home-openers under Wilson. Overall, Tarleton has won 12 of its last 13 home-openers inside Wisdom Gym. The team last lost such a contest in 2016 in a 68-66 defeat to Missouri S&T as a part of the Texan Tip-Off Classic.  

UNPACKING DORSEY'S HISTORIC OFFENSIVE EFFORT  

10 of Dorsey's 18 points vs. North Texas came from the charity stripe. Dorsey was also 4-8 from the field. 

The freshman was 0-3 from long range but has demonstrated a strong outside shot in practice and during her prep career. Dorsey owns Birdville High School records in 3-point shots made in a single season (77) and in a single game (6). Dorsey averaged 24.9 points per game as a senior and was named District 7-A MVP in 2019 and 2020. 

ESCAMILLA ATOP THE TEXAN LEADERBOARD 

The 5-9 forward is the only member of the team to have recorded a double-double in her Texan career. 

She leads Tarleton's active players in career 10-point games (16), 10-rebound games (3) and double-doubles (3). 

Escamilla recorded the fourth start of her career vs. North Texas on Wednesday. 

FRONTCOURT PROWESS  

Benson, Cunningham and Escamilla combined for 35 of the Texans' 71 points vs. North Texas. Benson got to the foul line six times and added five rebounds, one block and one steal. Cunningham knocked down the Texans' lone 3-point shot in the game and finished with 10 points despite being in foul trouble for the entirety of the contest. Escamilla led Tarleton with seven rebounds in 18 minutes played. 

HOY'S DIVISION I RETURN  

The senior demonstrated why Misty Wilson is counting on her to be the team's primary ballhandler and replacement for four-year starter Kylie Collins at point guard. 

Hoy, who transferred to Tarleton from UTEP in 2019, was 6-11 from the field and finished with 12 points vs. North Texas. She consistently drew double teams and helped create scoring opportunities for Benson and Dorsey.  

It was the 11th game of Hoy's career in which she scored in double figures. Hoy was named to the Preseason Coaches All-WAC Second Team in October. 

THE REST OF THE NONCONFERENCE SLATE 

Tarleton completes a two-game homestand with a 6 p.m. tilt against Bacone College (OK) on Wednesday. The Texas face Champion Christian College (Dec. 12) and Arlington Baptist (Dec. 14) in between road contests with regional Division I opponents Lamar (Dec. 5) and Oral Roberts (Dec. 10).  

A trip to Las Vegas, Nevada for a pair of neutral site games at the South Point Classic caps the nonconference portion of the Texans' schedule. Tarleton meets North Alabama on Dec. 20 before turning around to take on Eastern Michigan a day later. Both games tip off at noon CT. 

WAC HOME PAIRINGS 

The Texans are scheduled to welcome California Baptist (Jan. 15-16), Utah Valley (Jan. 29-30), Dixie State (Feb. 19-20) and UTRGV (March 5-6) to Wisdom Gym for the first time. Full schedule details can be accessed at TarletonSports.com/Womens-Basketball/Schedule.