Tarleton State Women’s Basketball set for final non-conference games in ACU Christmas Classic this weekend

ABILENE, Texas – Before Tarleton State Women's Basketball enjoys the Holiday Break, there is business to take care of at the ACU Christmas Classic starting Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Moody Coliseum.

The Texans will face Buffalo in the first game of the event on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tarleton State wraps up the ACU Christmas Classic with a Saturday matinee against Montana at 1 p.m.

Buffalo, the 2025 WNIT champions, is coming off a 13-day break while Tarleton State is back in action after 12 days. Tarleton State, who has won three straight games, made its first Division I postseason appearance came in the 2025 WNIT.

The Texans will be the third team Montana faces on the Lady Griz's Texas road trip. They started on the road at Houston.

Fans can watch the game on WAC International for free with a login. The stream will be video only. Fans can also listen to Clayton Neville's radio call on Tarleton Sports Network.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE DUO

Tarleton State's post players make for quite the duo, especially when posting double-doubles.
Junior forward Shadasia Brackens and freshman center Elodie Lutbert each have posted a double-double in three consecutive games. It is the first time since 1985 a Tarleton State duo has had three straight double-doubles in the same three games (Kathy Buckler, Kelly Hubbard, Nov. 12-20).
Lutbert is the first Tarleton State freshman since 1985-86 to have three straight games with a double-double (Kelly Hubbard, Nov. 12-20).
Brackens recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds against Texas A&M-San Antonio (12/7). She is the first Texan since 2016 to have four double-doubles through Tarleton State's first 10 games (Mackenzie Hailey, 5).
Brackens is the first Texan since 2020-21 (Callie Boyles) and second Texan in Division I Era to record two double-doubles in the first seven games of the season.
Lutbert recorded her third double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds against Texas A&M-San Antonio (12/7). Her 12 rebounds matched the Division I era program record for most rebounds in a game by a Tarleton State freshman.

QUEENS OF THE BLOCK

Tarleton State will have a pair of shot blockers in its frontcourt in Tessa Engelman and Lutbert.
Lutbert blocked five shots against Texas A&M-San Antonio. She is the first Tarleton State freshman since 2005 to have five blocks in a single game (TaNesiah Leak).
Lutbert leads the team with 12 blocked shots and is the top 100 in Division I Women's Basketball in blocked shots per game.
Engelman has five games in college basketball with 3+ blocks, including two this season. Her most recent game with 3+ blocks was against McNeese (11/16, 3).
Engelman spent her first two seasons as a defensive force for Mount St. Mary's, tallying 30 blocks as a sophomore in 2024-25.
Engelman's five blocks on Feb. 6, 2025 at Iona were the most by a Mountaineer player in a single game since Nov. 2019.

WELCOME BACK

Tarleton State's 2025-26 roster features three players that did not play Division I basketball last season, but will do so this year.
Gia Adams was an All-WAC player at UT Arlington in 2023-24 before transferring to North Texas. She did not play at UNT.
Caroline Lyles was injured at Akron and did not play in the 2024-25 season.
Luka Malinka played Division II basketball at Roosevelt in 2024-25. She played at Winthrop and Northern Colorado before transferring.
Having players come back to basketball after a year off is not new for the Texans.
Niki Van Wyk was a key role player for the Texans last year in the Purple and White, returning to college basketball after taking the 2023-24 season off. She played in 31 games, starting three, and scored 141 points.