The Teams: Tarleton Texans (6-7, 0-2 WAC) at Grand Canyon Lopes (9-4, 1-1 WAC)
Where: Phoenix, Arizona
Arena: GCU Arena
Day and Time: Thursday at 7 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN+
Radio: Tarleton Sports Network (Jimmy Christopher)
 
ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• This is the fourth all-time meeting, all coming over the past three seasons. GCU has taken the first three, including the lone matchup last year where there were a combined 84 points, 47-37.
• Last season's matchup was a defensive battle for the ages. There was one double-digit scorer, 57 turnovers, 28 steals, a combined 31.9 FG% (29-91 FG) and three three-point makes.
• GCU just snapped a season-long three-game losing streak after starting the season 8-1.
• GCU is No. 148 in the NCAA Net Rankings. They are 30^th in the country in average scoring margin at +17.4.

 
QUICK HITS

• The Texans are in the middle of a season-long four-game losing streak, their longest skid since Feb. 27 through March 5, 2021.
• Tarleton will need its A-game offensively Thursday, facing a GCU defense that is first in the WAC in points allowed (58.3 PPG), third in FG% allowed (.378), and third in 3PT% allowed (.265).
• Tarleton got to the free throw line 30 times in their last game, their most attempts since Dec. 6 vs. Weber State. This year they're averaging 21.6 free throw attempts per game, fourth most in the WAC and tied-33rd most in the country. Last year they averaged 16.3 FTA per game.
• Tarleton has only allowed more than 68 three-point makes on the season, the tied-second fewest total in the WAC (tied with Abilene Christian, Sam Houston has allowed 58 in 11 games).
• Mayra Caicedo returned in the last game from a one-game absence, posting six points and three assists in 20 minutes. Also in the last game, Teresa Da Silva scored her 10th 10+ point game of the year, Tyler Jackson had her 15th career 10+ point game, Mason Jones scored a career-high nine points and Starr Omozee scored a season-high nine points.
• In second halves, Tarleton averages 5.1 more points (35.6) to their average in first halves (30.5).
• Through two games of conference play to start the WAC portion of the schedule, just one team is 2-0 (Southern Utah), two others are 1-0, and 10 of the 13 have at least one loss.

 
WHO'S HOT

• Teresa Da Silva – After an off shooting night, Da Silva had 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting in the last game, adding four assists and two rebounds. She still leads the team in scoring (15.2 PPG) and rebounding (4.5), plus is second in assists (3.6 APG), steals (1.7 SPG) and blocks (0.6 BPG).
• Elise Turrubiates – Turrubiates just had 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, adding four rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench. It marked her third double-digit scoring game of the year. She's second on the team in field goal percentage at .509, only behind Nyajah Mitchels (.530).
• Mason Jones – In the last game, Jones scored a career-high nine points in a career-high 24 minutes, adding three rebounds and two blocks. After posting one block in her first 25 career games, Jones has four blocks over her past two. She's also averaged 6.0 points over her last three games.

 
NUMBERS TO KNOW
5: Tarleton is fifth in the WAC in both TURNOVERS FORCED PER GAME (18.6) and AVERAGE TURNOVER MARGIN (+1.7). That stacks up with a GCU team that is first in both categories at 24.6 turnovers forced per game and +8.0 in average turnover margin.
 
15.2: At 15.2 points per game, Teresa Da Silva is on pace to finish with the HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL SCORING AVERAGE in Tarleton's D1 era. The highest mark is held by Marissa Escamilla at 14.2 PPG in 2020-21. Da Silva is fifth in the WAC in scoring this season.
 
10.4: PER 40 MINUTES, Nya Mitchels is averaging 10.4 rebounds, the highest mark on the team. Over the past two seasons, only two Texans have finished with a higher average -- Seynabou Thiam had 13.3 rebounds per 40 last season, and Marissa Escamilla was at 11.8 rebounds per 40 in 2020-21.
 
600: Starr Omozee just scored her 600th CAREER COLLEGIATE POINT on Saturday, the most career points on the team. If she plays both games this week, she will have logged 100 career collegiate games.
 
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
Tarleton will end its early three-game WAC road trip at New Mexico State on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT. After that, the Texans will return home for three straight at Wisdom Gym, beginning Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 5 p.m. CT against UTRGV.