Women's Basketball 1/20/2026 6:04:00 PM Grant Cohen

Tarleton State Women’s Basketball’s second matchup with UTA slated for Wednesday WAC hoops

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State Women's Basketball faces UT Arlington for the second time this season on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the EECU Center.

The Texans have won two straight games and are currently tied for third in the WAC standings. After dominating Southern Utah 81-55 last Thursday, the Texans edged out Utah Tech 64-60 on Saturday to pick up their third conference win of the season.

Early arriving fans will receive an exclusive Tarleton State coffee mug. Wednesday's game will also feature a hot chocolate bar that is free for all fans.

Tickets start at just $9 and can be purchased at TarletonSports.com/Tickets. Students receive free admission to all Tarleton State home events.

The Texans won the first matchup of the season with UT Arlington 66-57 on Dec. 29 at the EECU Center. Senior guard Gia Adams will face her former team for the second time this season. Adams was a First Team All-WAC player at UTA in 2023-24.

Fans unable to attend in person can watch the game on ESPN+ and also listen to Clayton Neville's radio call on Tarleton Sports Network.

PEAK PERFORMER

Tarleton State signed former All-WAC First Team player Gia Adams this past season. Adams currently leads the Texans in scoring and assists. She will face her former school, UT Arlington, on Wednesday for the second time this season.
She has registered five 20-point games this season, most recently having 20 points against Southern Utah (1/15).
Tarleton State has now had two straight seasons with a player who has had five 20-point games in a season. Arieona Rosborough had five 20-point games in 2024-25.
Adams was named to the ACU Christmas Classic All-Tournament Team, averaging 22.5 points and eight assists per game.
Adams was named to the 2023-24 All-WAC First Team at UT Arlington before transferring to North Texas. The Cypress, Texas, native was the Texans' first transfer to sign with the Texans.
Averaging 14.5 points per game in her junior season at UT Arlington, Adams led the Lady Mavs in scoring and was the third-leading scorer in the WAC during the 2023-24 season. The Dave Campbell's Honorable Mention All-Texas guard won four straight WAC Newcomer of the Week honors and registered six 20-point games in a UTA uniform. She dropped a season-high 30 points at CBU, the eventual 2024 WAC Champions.
Adams spent her first two seasons at Tennessee State and had one of the best seasons by a Tennessee State freshman in the program's history, averaging 12.9 points per game en route to winning the OVC Freshman of the Year award.

BENCH BOOST

Not only has Tarleton State gotten a lift from its starting five, but also have had some key production from players coming off the bench.
The Texans have a 4-2 record this season when bench players score 20 or more points. Tarleton State had 27 bench points against Utah Tech (1/17), their most in WAC play this season.
In the win against Utah Tech (1/17), the Texans had key contributions from players off the bench.
Junior guard Caroline Lyles had a season-high 10 points off the bench. Lyles scored the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:07 left to play.
Junior forward Tessa Engelman scored a season-high 12 points off the bench. She knocked down the final two jumpers for the Texans to put the game out of reach.

BALLIN BRACKENS

Shadaisa Brackens earned her and the team's first weekly award of the season on Dec. 23, being named Western Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Week.
Brackens has reached seven double-doubles faster than any Texan since 2016-17. She is the first Texan since Mackenzie Hailey to have at least seven double-doubles through 17 games (10).
She grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds against Utah Tech (1/17) and scored 11 points en route to her seventh double-double of the season.
Brackens recently scored a career-high 21 points to go with nine rebounds at ACU (1/8). She was one rebound shy of her seventh double-double of the season.
Brackens recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds in the WAC opener against UTA (12/29). She is the first Texan since 2016 to have six double-doubles through Tarleton State's first 13 games (Mackenzie Hailey, 7).
Brackens is the first Texan since 2021 to have a double-double in a conference opener (Marissa Escamilla - 16 points, 12 rebounds vs. CBU).
Brackens had her fourth straight double-double (10 pts, 10 reb) against defending WNIT champions, Buffalo (12/19).
With Elodie Lutbert, she was part of the first Texan duo to post three straight double-doubles in the same three games since 1985
After posting her first double-double of the season in the season opener against Schreiner (11/3), Brackens became the first Texan in the Division I era and the first since 2016 to have a double-double in the season opener.
With Allie Myers, She was part of the first Texan duo to record 10+ rebounds in a season opener since 1996.
The former North Texas forward has been an immediate contributor in her first season with the Texans. Brackens has the most double-doubles on the team and currently leads Tarleton State in rebounding.
Prior to her arrival in Stephenville, Brackens played 51 career games for North Texas and scored 143 points to go with 82 rebounds.