THE GAMES 

Opponent: Chicago State Cougars 

Dates: Saturday, Feb. 13 and Sunday, Feb. 14. Both games tip off at 1 p.m. CST. 

Location: Jones Convocation Center – Chicago, Illinois 

TELEVISION: WAC Digital Network

WACDigitalNetwork.com

RADIO: Tarleton Sports Network KXTR 100.7 FM 

Kyle Crews, Play-by-Play 

AT A GLANCE 

A weekend trip to the Windy City represents a golden opportunity for the Texans to finally break into the Western Athletic Conference win column. 

Tarleton (4-12 0-6 WAC) is arguably playing its best stretch of basketball versus Division I competition ahead of a weekend showdown against a Chicago State team still searching for its first victory of the season. The Texans secured their first true Division I and road victory of the season in a 79-63 triumph at UTRGV on Jan. 27 and followed up the effort with competitive defeats against Grand Canyon on Feb. 1-2. Tarleton was within two and five points, respectively, of the Lopes entering the fourth quarter of 64-55 and 71-54 losses. 

Defense has primarily keyed Tarleton's improved play of late. The Texans have limited their last four opponents to an average of 64.5 points per game and held three at-or-below 45 percent shooting from the field. Prior to a 59-47 defeat at Seattle U, Division I foes were averaging 76.9 points per game vs. the Texans. 

Chicago State (0-9, 0-6) enters averaging conference-lows in points per game (50.9), assists per game (9.1) and field goal percentage (34.0). 

Simplified half court offensive sets and employing an eight-man rotation has yielded gradual progress at the other end of the court. The Texans posted season-highs in field goal percentage (52.7), points scored and assists (20) in games opposite Division I teams in their win over the Vaqueros. Tarleton has shot at a 42 percent clip in its last three outings – six points above its season average. 

A big reason for Tarleton's improved offensive efficiency has been junior Marissa Escamilla. The 5-9 forward is averaging 14.4 points and eight rebounds over Tarleton's last seven games, all of which have been against WAC opponents. Escamilla tallied a career-high 23 points vs. the Lopes on Feb. 1 – also the most scored by any Texan this season – and ranks fifth in the conference in rebounds per game (6.9). 

Freshman Iyana Dorsey continues to lead the team in scoring at 13.7 points per game and is knocking down the most made triples per game (2.1) of any player in the WAC. 

The games against the Cougars continue Tarleton's extended run of road games. Following Sunday's contest, the Texans will have played seven straight contests and 10 of their last 12 away from home.  

Tarleton and Chicago State were originally scheduled to play on Feb. 12-13 but the games were pushed back to reduce travel costs and limit possible exposure to COVID-19.  

GAME COVERAGE 

A video broadcast for both games can be accessed free of charge on the WAC Digital Network at WACDigitalNetwork.com. Links for live stats and the video stream can be accessed on the women's basketball schedule page at TarletonSports.com. Kyle Crews will have the call for both games 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. 

CHICAGO STATE ATHLETICS FAN POLICY 

No fans and outside media are allowed inside the arena in accordance with guidelines set by the Illinois Department of Public Health and Chicago State Athletics. Tickets are not available for purchase. 

INSIDE THE SERIES: CHICAGO STATE 

Saturday's game marks the first-ever meeting between the two schools in any sport. The Texans and Cougars' 2021-22 matchup will be their final as fellow WAC members. Chicago State announced in January it will voluntarily leave the conference in 2022. 

LAST TIME OUT: GRAND CANYON 

The turnover bug proved to be Tarleton's kryptonite in its defeats against the Lopes. The Texans gave the ball away a season-worst 26 times in their 64-55 defeat on Feb.1 and finished with 22 turnovers the following night. Tarleton was leading the WAC in fewest giveaways per game (14.8) prior to its trip to Phoenix. 

The Texans effectively doubled off Katie Scott, who leads the WAC in scoring at 17.6 points per game, to help limit GCU's offensive attack in the teams' first game. Tarleton limited the Lopes to 30 percent shooting and 22 points scored in the first half and trailed 42-40 heading into the game's final period. GCU hit 10-15 shots in the fourth quarter to separate from the Texans. 

Tarleton trailed 23-10 after the first quarter one night later but trimmed GCU's advantage t0 45-39 heading into the final period. The team's 39-31 edge on the glass was the first time Tarleton out-rebounded a Division I opponent. 

UP NEXT FOR TARLETON 

Tarleton's next confirmed games are at New Mexico State on Feb. 26-27 in El Paso. New Mexico State Athletics announced on Feb. 1 its men's basketball teams will play the remainder of their games at Eastwood High School. Amendments to the State of New Mexico's COVID-19 Policies for Intercollegiate Athletics do not allow teams to host any games inside the state. 

The Texans were originally set to host fellow conference newcomer Dixie State on Feb. 19-20 but the Trailblazers cancelled the remainder of their women's basketball season on Jan. 5. 

Tarleton is attempting to reschedule a home series against Utah Valley, which was scheduled for Jan. 29-30 inside Wisdom Gym but postponed due to COVID-19 developments within the Wolverine program. Conference officials previously indicated games can be made up if the teams share a common off week or if the host facility is available at an alternate date. 

The Texans' lone remaining confirmed home games are against UTRGV on March 5-6. Tarleton last played in Wisdom Gym on Jan. 15-16 against California Baptist and has hosted just three games over the last two months. 

NET RANKINGS 

Through Jan. 30, Tarleton has faced off with four teams ranked inside the top-130 of the NCAA Women's Basketball NET Rankings: Florida (No. 63), California Baptist (No. 80), Eastern Michigan (No. 108) and North Texas (No. 130).  

Conference members Grand Canyon (No. 182) and Utah Valley (No. 196) sit inside the top-200 of the rankings as well. Tarleton and Chicago State rank No. 304 and No. 331, respectively, ahead of Saturday's game. 

The NCAA released its first set of rankings on Jan. 4. NET Rankings are used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee to help set the 64-team field. The NET utilizes two factors in ranking teams: Team Value Index (factors in results, quality of opponent and location) and the team's net efficiency (efficiency metrics scaled for quality of opponent and location). The rankings do not include games played against non-Division I opponents. 

TEXANS AMONG WAC STATISTICAL LEADERS 

Tarleton's 243 made free throw attempts are the most of any team in the conference. The Texans have hit 15-or-more shots from the charity stripes in nine games and rank third in the WAC in free throw percentage (70.2).  

Dorsey's 83.8 percent clip at the foul line is second-best among individuals. In addition to leading the WAC in made 3-point shots per game, the Saginaw native also ranks fourth in points scored (219), sixth in points per game (13.7) and seventh in steals per game (1.8). 

Escamilla's rebounding average ranks fifth in the conference. The forward moved to 10th in points per game (12.6) and 11th in points scored (164) after tallying 36 points in Tarleton's twin bill against GCU. From Burnet, Texas, Escamilla is also eighth in free throw percentage (64.8) 

Fellow forward Lucy Benson is now seventh in rebounds per game (6.1) following her career-best 11-board effort against the Lopes on Feb. 2. Junior college transfer Emily Cunningham is seventh in field goal percentage (46.4) and ninth in 3-point field goal percentage (39.2). 

DORSEY MAKING FRESHMAN OFFENSIVE HISTORY 

The 5-6 guard has scored in double figures in 14-of-16 games, tallied 15-plus points on eight occasions and been in double-digit scoring by halftime on five occasions. 

The freshman offensive phenom scored a career-high 19 points in Tarleton's 86-54 loss at Seattle U and was an offensive bright spot in an otherwise tough afternoon collectively from the field Her 18 points scored at North Texas were the most by a Texan in a season-opener since 2014 and the most by a freshman under coach Misty Wilson in a season-opening game. Dorsey's scoring figure was also a game high.  

Dorsey averaged 15 points per game against an undefeated California Baptist squad in Tarleton's WAC debut on Jan. 15- 16. She also leads the team in free throws made (56) and is shooting at an 84.0 percent clip from the charity stripe, which is tops in the WAC. She hit 10-12 free throws against North Texas, 9-10 vs. California Baptist on Jan. 15 and was 7-7 at Grand Canyon on Feb. 2. If the season were to end today, Dorsey would have the 10th-highest single-season free throw percentage in program history.  

Dorsey, who holds Birdville High School records in made 3-point shots in a single season (77) and a single game (6) leads the team in made 3-point field goals with 29. Four of her 3-pointers came in a single quarter. Dorsey went 4-7 from beyond the arc in the second quarter of the team's win over Bacone. Dorsey was one of three players to hit four 3-point against Champion Christian to help the team reset the program record for most made 3-point field goals in a game. 

ESCAMILLA ATOP THE TEXAN LEADERBOARD 

The junior was named the athletic department's Female Student Athlete of the Month on Jan. 29. She has tallied double-digit scoring figures in six of Tarleton's seven games played against WAC opponents. 

Escamilla has scored in double figures 25 times now for her career and tallied 10-or-more points in six of Tarleton's last seven games. She has been the team's leading scorer on four occasions. The junior's 23 points vs. GCU were a game-high as were her 17 and 16-point efforts vs. Champion Christian and Seattle U on Dec. 12 and Jan. 23, respectively. Escamilla was also Tarleton's leading scorer at Florida on Dec. 14 with 13 points. 

The forward, who has made two starts this season, has recorded at least five rebounds in 9-of-14 games played. She leads Tarleton's active players in career 10-rebound games (5) and double-doubles (5).  

The Burnet, Texas native has recorded five rebounds in all but two of the games she has appeared in and is building off of a strong sophomore campaign. Last season, Escamilla had the most offensive rebounds of any player (67) and was tops on the team in field goal percentage (.542). 

CUNNINGHAM'S CONSISTENCY 

Cunningham, 6-0, scored in double figures and shot above 50 percent in the first five games she played in and has scored at least 10 points on seven separate occasions. A native of Italy, Texas, Cunningham returned from a two-game injury absence with an 11-point effort against Florida on Dec. 14. Nine of her points came in the first half - all of which came on made 3-point shots.  

The 6-0 forward put forth her best offensive performance at UTRGV on Jan. 27. She scored a career and game-high 20 points against the Vaqueros on 7-10 shooting to help Tarleton snap a seven-game losing streak and earn its first true Division I win. Cunningham was also 3-5 from long range.  

Against Howard Payne on Nov. 28, she connected on 6-9 shots from the field and was 4-6 from 3-point land. Cunningham ranks third all-time in Hill College program history in 3-point shots made. Cunningham gave Tarleton 13 points on 4-7 shooting, including a 3-4 clip from long range, in the team's 89-66 loss vs. California Baptist on Jan. 16. 

BENSON SETTING CAREER-HIGHS 

Benson's 15 points scored against the North Texas to begin the season 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 tied her previous career-high in rebounds (9) on three occasions this season prior to her 11-rebound effort at Grand Canyon on Feb.  She's averaging career-highs in points (7.4) and rebounds per game (6.1).