LOS ANGELES — Tarleton State will round out the 2023 calendar year and its 2023-24 non-conference slate with a Friday night bout against Loyola Marymount at the Gersten Pavilion at 9 p.m. CST.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Jess Kass and Drew Viley on the call. Kyle Crews will have the radio call on 90.5 KTRL. Live Stats will be provided by StatBroadcast and can be found on TarletonSports.com. For highlights and live score updates follow @tarletonmbb on Twitter and Instagram.
Devon Barnes led the Texans in scoring in each of their two games last week. The sophomore transfer posted 20 on Monday against Jax State and 12 on Thursday at #8 Tennessee.
Tarleton fell victim to a late Jax State rally to lose its second game of the WAC x CUSA Scheduling Initiative. The Texans displayed a solid defensive second half to close the gap to six with four minutes to go at #8 Tennessee before ultimately dropping, 65-46.
The Texans are taking up a lot of space in the top of the statistical rankings this season with four players in the top 10 of a category in the WAC.
KiAndre Gaddy ranks in the top six in five different categories and leads the league in double-doubles and offensive rebounds.
Jakorie Smith ranks in the top six in three categories.
Joseph Jones was named the acting head coach of the Texans' on Dec. 19 after filling in for head coach
Billy Gillspie on Nov.19 at the SoCal Challenge. Jones won his first six games in his new role and is 6-2 overall. Gillispie is not with the team due to medical circumstances.
The Purple and White rank in the top three in six statistical categories, including topping the WAC in four. Tarleton leads the league in fewest points allowed (63.0)), turnover margin (+3.42), steals (10.17) and free throw percentage (74.3).
Friday will be the Texans' first meeting in program history with Loyola Marymount, a member of the West Coast Conference. It will be Tarleton's second meeting with a current member of the WCC, with its only prior meeting a 64-55 lost at #1 Gonzaga in the 2021-22 season.
Loyola Marymount enters the match-up 7-6 overall in their final non-conference tilt of the season as well. The Lions lost a tough battle at home to #16 Colorado State just before Christmas break, 76-67. Stan Johnson is in his fourth season at the helm of the program and his fourth as a Division I head coach. Last season, the Lions became the only team in the history of the WCC to knock off Gonzaga, St. Mary's and BYU last season.
Tarleton will open 2024 with its first WAC game since Dec. 2 and the first of an 18-straight conference games. The Texans will host UT Arlington on Thursday, Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. in Wisdom Gym. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and Crews will have the radio call.
