STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State Men's Basketball opened WAC play with a victory for the fourth straight season and will head to Utah for a pair of contests starting with Southern Utah on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. CT at the America First Event Center.
 
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Spencer McLaughlin and Dallin Richards. Byron Anderson will have the call on the Tarleton Sports Radio Network. Live stats will be provided by StatBroadcast available on tarletonsports.com. Follow @tarletonmbb on Instagram, X and Facebook for live updates, highlights and content.
 
Tarleton opened its conference slate with a statement home win against UT Arlington, 77-74. The Mavericks were selected to finish second in the league in the preseason poll. The Texans led by as many as nine and took a 38-32 lead into the break. The Mavs took the lead with 13 minutes to go in the second. Tarleton used an 8-0 run thanks to five points from Dantwan Grimes to take a 73-71 lead in the final minute. Jordan Mizell picked a Maverick pocket to thwart a last second attempt to tie handing the Purple and White their first win of the new year.
 
Every squad under coach Gillispie is very defense oriented, and this year's crew is no different. Tarleton ranks second in the nation in forced turnovers per game, averaging 17.88 to lead the WAC. The Texans trail only UTEP who averages 18.83 per game. The Purple and White have forced at least 20 turnovers in five games this season and in each of the last three. Tarleton has forced double-digit turnovers in all but one game this season (11/30 vs. Hofstra). The Texans rank 23rd in the nation and third in the league averaging 9.8 steals per contest.
 
Bubu Benjamin and Chris Mpaka are the only Texans to record a double-double this season. Benjamin's three ranks fourth in the WAC and he is one of six to have recorded at least three. Mpaka is seventh in the league with two. Tarleton is one of three teams to have multiple players record at least two double-doubles this season joining California Baptist and Utah Tech. Benjamin notched his third double-double with a 17-point, 11-board effort against Florida A&M (12/29). Mpaka set new career highs with 19 points and 12 boards en route to his second double double of the season against Howard Payne.
 
Benjamin scored 20-plus points against UT Arlington for the sixth time this season. The sophomore's 21-point effort was tied for the second most points by a WAC player on opening night. He has scored at least 15 in all but four games this season. The Canada native ranks second in the WAC averaging 17.3 points per game.
 
Grimes played a major part in the second half against the Mavericks scoring 14 of his career-best 18 points. The junior scored in double digits for the first time in his D1 career. Grimes has played at least 35 minutes in each of the last three games all off the bench.
 
Mpaka is third in the WAC and 32nd in the nation with 28 blocks. The junior college transfer has recorded five blocks in two games and at least three in four games. One of two WAC players to notch at least two games with at least five blocks. Mpaka posted five blocks against Florida State and Dallas Christian this season, the second most in a game in Tarleton's D1 era.
 
Last year, the Texans were 3-0 in the state of Utah and 5-1 against the three Utah schools. Tarleton swept the Thunderbirds last season and lead the all-time series, 3-1. The two programs have split a pair in Cedar City.
 
Southern Utah dropped its first game of WAC play to GCU, 82-71, on the road. SUU has lost its last five, with only one coming in Cedar City. The Thunderbirds were 0-2 against Power Four Conference opponents, Arizona and UCLA. Head coach Rob Jeter is in his second season at the helm of the program. During his first year he was 10-21 and SUU missed the WAC Tournament.

Head Coach Billy Gillispie is chasing the 200-career win mark, needing three more to eclipse the milestone. Coach Gillispie has totaled 49 wins in Stephenville, the second most of any of his five stops as head coach trailing only Texas A&M. He totaled 70 in College Station in three seasons.
 
Tarleton State will close the weekend against Utah Tech on Saturday night at 8 p.m. CT at Burns Arena. Utah Tech will host UT Arlington in its first WAC game of the season on Thursday night.