The Teams: Tarleton Texans (6-8, 0-3 WAC) at New Mexico State Aggies (7-8, 2-1 WAC)
Where: Las Cruces, New Mexico
Arena: Pan American Center
Day and Time: Saturday at 5 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. The two split their meetings in Las Cruces in 2020-21, and Tarleton won in Stephenville last year 58-56.
• In last season's game, Tarleton had 13 blocks, their most in a game in at least the past 15 years.
• NMSU has won four of their last five after suffering a one-win-in-seven-games stretch.
• All three of the Aggies' conference games have been decided by eight or fewer points. In NMSU's 15 games, 12 have been decided by less than 10 points, two in overtime.

 
QUICK HITS

• The Texans are in the middle of a season-long five-game losing streak, their longest skid since Dec. 14, 2020, through Jan. 23, 2021, a seven-game slide.
• Breaking Tarleton's season in two halves, the Texans have a stark contrast offensively between the first seven games and the last seven games. Through the first seven (a 5-2 start), Tarleton averaged 73.7 points (42.8 FG%, 36.6 3PT%, 8.6 three-point makes per). Over the past seven (a 1-6 record), they've averaged 56.3 points (34.0 FG%, 20.5 3PT%, 4.3 three-point makes per).
• Tarleton has gotten to the free throw line 51 times over their past two games. They're averaging 21.6 free throw attempts per game, fourth most in the WAC and 36th most in the country. Last year they averaged 16.3 FTA per game.
• The Texans forced a season-high 28 turnovers in their last game, their most forced since earning 32 takeaways against Champion Christian on Dec. 12, 2020. They're fifth in the WAC in average turnover margin at +1.9 per.
• Teresa Da Silva scored Tarleton's first 11 points on Thursday, finishing with a game-high 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-9 from distance.
• Tarleton has only allowed 74 three-point makes this year, the tied-third fewest total in the WAC.
• Tarleton and New Mexico State are Nos. 10 and 11 in the WAC WBB Resume Seeding System.

 
WHO'S HOT

• Teresa Da Silva – In Tarleton's 14 games, Da Silva has scored in double figures 11 times, with four 20+ point performances. She leads the team in scoring (15.5 PPG) and rebounding (4.2), plus is second in assists (3.4 APG), steals (1.6 SPG) and blocks (0.6 BPG).
• Elise Turrubiates – Turrubiates just recorded a career-high five steals, tied for the most by a Texan in a game this year. She has 20 steals and 10 blocks on the year. She's one of 14 WAC players with 10+ blocks and only one of three with 10+ blocks and 20+ steals (UVU's Brown, SFA's Brittingham).
• Starr Omozee – Omozee did a little bit of everything on Thursday, posting four points, six rebounds, and three steals in 22 minutes. She's third on the team in rebounding at 4.1 RPG. If she takes the court on Saturday, it will mark her 100th career collegiate game at the NCAA Division I level.

 
NUMBERS TO KNOW
7: Mayra Caicedo dished out five more assists on Thursday, putting her SEVENTH IN THE WAC IN ASSISTS PER GAME at 3.8. She has had multiple assists in all 13 games she's played this year, now at 364 assists in her collegiate career.
 
15.5: At 15.5 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 now fourth in the WAC in scoring this season.
 
10.3: PER 40 MINUTES, Mitchels is averaging 10.3 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.
 
3: This is the third and final game of Tarleton's first of two SEASON-LONG THREE-GAME ROAD TRIPS. The Texans have not been swept on a 3+ game road trip since 2017-18.
 
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
Tarleton will be back in Wisdom where they're 5-1 this season for a three-game homestand, starting Wednesday at 5 p.m. CT against UTRGV.