AT A GLANCE 

Tarleton gets another crack at securing its first win over a Division I opponent as a member Division I school when it travels to Beaumont to face Lamar on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. inside the Montagne Center. 

The Texans enter the game with a 2-1 overall record after posting consecutive home victories over Howard Payne (76-50) and Bacone College (80-39). Wednesday's 41-point win over Bacone was the largest margin of victory for Tarleton since it defeated Arlington Baptist 104-52 in 2017. 

The Texans are shooting 51.2 percent from the field – tops in the Western Athletic Conference – and have five players who are averaging double-digit scoring figures through three games. Tarleton is not eligible for inclusion in NCAA statistical rankings while it completes its NCAA-mandated four-year transition process. If it were, Tarleton would rank 20th nationally in team field goal percentage. 

Lamar (0-4) is winless on the season, but its losses have come against quality opponents. The Cardinals, who compete in the Southland Conference, have played No. 12 Texas A&M twice and squared off against Mountain West Conference foes San Diego State and Fresno State at the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout. Saturday's game vs. Tarleton will be Lamar's first home game of the year. 

THE GAME 

Opponent: Lamar 
Date: Saturday, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. CST  
Location: Montagne Center– Beaumont, Texas 

INSIDE THE SERIES: LAMAR 

Saturday's game is the first meeting between the two schools. Lamar is scheduled to make a return trip to Stephenville in 2021. 

GAME COVERAGE 

Saturday's game will be broadcast nationwide on ESPN+. Links for live stats and free video stream can be found on the women's basketball schedule at TarletonSports.com. 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 

Capacity inside the Montagne Center is limited to 2,400 fans for Saturday's game. Call the Montagne Event Center ticket office at 409-880-1715 to purchase tickets for the game. A select number of tickets will be available at the gate on game day at the Montagne Center. 

LAST TIME OUT 

Tarleton outscored Bacone 26-6 in the second quarter and 20-2 over the game's final 5:18 to seal the final score 

Forward Callie Boyles led all scorers with 20 points - seven of which came during a first quarter in which Tarleton gave the ball away as many times. Boyles' nine rebounds were also a team-high.  

Freshman Iyana Dorsey knocked down four shots from long range in the second quarter to fuel Tarleton's offensive surge. The Saginaw native finished with at least 15 points for the third consecutive game.  

Tarleton shot a season-best 55 percent from the field and converted 21 Bacone turnovers into 22 points. Bacone, which competes as an NAIA independent team, played with seven players and was without head coach Mike Gonzales due to positive COVID-19 tests.  

The Texans used their size and depth advantage to out-rebound the Warriors 43-23. 

TEXANS ATOP WAC STATISTICAL LEADERBOARD 

Boyles is tied for first in blocks (6) and tied for fifth in rebounds per game (7.7). Fellow forward Lucy Benson sits at eighth in rebounds per game with 6.3. Dorsey is fifth in scoring (17 ppg) and eighth in assists per game (2.7). Emily Cunningham is third in field goal percentage (65.2) and seventh in 3-point field goal percentage (55.6). 

Tarleton ranks second in 3-point field goal percentage (32.3) and rebounding margin (4.3) in addition to leading the WAC in field goal percentage. The Texans are also tied for second in assists per game (13) and are third in blocks per game (4.2) and free throw percentage (72.6). 

'IF YOU AIN'T FIRST, YOU'RE LAST' 

Tarleton has wasted no time jumping on its opponents thus far. Through three games, the Texans have outscored opponents 61-33 in the first quarter.  

Tarleton is also shooting 53 percent from the field in the opening frame. Defensively, Tarleton has limited its opponents to just 10 combined made field goals in the first quarter. The Texans held both North Texas and Howard Payne to below 20 percent shooting. 

DORSEY'S HOT OFFENSIVE START 

The freshman has proven herself capable of scoring the basketball from any spot on the floor and finding her shooting stroke early.  

Dorsey has been in double-digit scoring at halftime in all three of Tarleton's games. She's the only player on the roster to score at least 15 points in each contest. The guard also leads the Texans with seven made 3-point shots - four of which came in a single quarter during Tarleton's win over Bacone.  

The former Birdville High School prep star is also shooting 41.7 percent from the field She's attempted 18 free throws through three games and was 10-12 from the charity stripe at North Texas on Nov. 25.  

Dorsey is second on the team in free throw percentage (.778) among players who have attempted at least six foul shots. 

BOYLES SETS CAREER HIGHS 

Sophomore forward Callie Boyles picked as good an afternoon as any to record her first-ever double-double and first Division I double-double in Tarleton history in the team's 76-50 win over Howard Payne on Saturday. 

The Texans were without four players against the Yellow Jackets including junior forward Marissa Escamilla, who started the team's season-opener at North Texas. Boyles gave Tarleton 25 minutes off the bench - 15 of which came in the first half - and finished with a 12 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks. Four of her five rejections came in the game's opening 20 minutes as did 10 of her rebounds.  

The Denton native then followed up with a 20-point, nine-rebound effort in an 80-39 win over Bacone on Wednesday. Boyles led all scorers in the contest and it was her first career 20-point game.  

The 6-3 forward currently is tied for first in blocks in the WAC with six and blocked 24 shots for the Texans last year. 

BENSON AND CUNNINGHAM FILL UP THE STAT SHEET 

Cunningham ranks atop the WAC in most major offensive statistical categories. The 6-0 forward and Dorsey are the only players to score in double digits in each of the Texans' games.  

The junior put forth arguably her best offensive performance vs. Howard Payne on Saturday. She connected on 6-9 shots from the field vs. Howard Payne on Saturday and was 4-6 from 3-point land. Cunningham ranks third all-time in Hill College program history in 3-point shots made. 

Benson's 15 points scored against the Mean Green were the most in a single game by the senior since she recorded 15 points in an 83-75 win over Pittsburg State on Nov. 27, 2019. Benson then tied her single game high in rebounds (9) vs. Howard Payne.  

Oddly enough, the Kennedale, Texas native has made 33 starts for Tarleton over the last three years but has yet to record her first career double-double. She's averaging career-highs in points (11.7) and rebounds per game (6.3). 

MORTON EARNS HER KEEP 

Injuries and consistent performances have earned sophomore Jayci Morton a steady increase in minutes.  

Morton, a 2019 graduate of Stephenville High School, has started in six of the Texans' last seven games dating back to the 2019-2020 campaign. She's averaging 26 minutes per game over the last eight games and has occupied a starting spot typically held by 5-9 senior Kaitlyn Guillory. The Texans are 4-2 in games with Morton in the starting lineup. 

At 5-11, Morton has been called upon at times to slide over to the post position when Tarleton's forwards have been in foul trouble. She put forth arguably her best performance against the Yellow Jackets. Morton netted 10 points to go along with 6 points and 4 rebounds in her first start of the 2020-21 season in place of Escamilla. The 5-11 guard finished with a plus-minus rating of 39. 

Morton is averaging 4.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game for her career and is shooting .462 percent from the field. 

THE REST OF THE NONCONFERENCE SLATE 

Tarleton visits Oral Roberts on Thursday for its final nonconference road game of its 2020-21 schedule. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside the Mabee Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Texans and Golden Eagles played each other twice in 1990. The Texans won both games by scores of 71.64 and 78-66.  

The Texans then have a pair of nonconference home games vs. Champion Christian (Dec. 12) and Arlington Baptist (Dec. 14) before heading to Las Vegas, Nevada, for of neutral site contests against North Alabama (Dec. 20) and Eastern Michigan (Dec. 21) as a part of the South Point Classic. Both games are set to start at 2 p.m. 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.