KINGSVILLE, Texas – After losing their last two games by a combined total of six points, the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball team returns to familiar surroundings at the Steinke Physical Education Center for matchups with the Tarleton State TexAnns on Thursday at 5:15 p.m. and the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
The Javelinas remain two games out of the final spot in the Lone Star Conference Tournament at 3-11 and 6-16 overall. The eighth and final spot in the LSC postseason currently belongs to the Texas Woman's Pioneers, who will spend their weekend at home, tussling with Eastern New Mexico and Western New Mexico.
Their home court will be a welcome site for Wade Scott and his student-athletes. Five of their last six games have taken them away from the SPEC, where they've won two of their last three. Both victories came in dramatic fashion. On Jan. 11th, the Javs held off a late comeback from UT Permian Basin on their way to a 59-55 triumph. Two weeks later, TAMUK and TWU went to overtime before the Hoggies turned away their visitors, 66-59.
While the Javelinas have lost four of their last six, their offense, which struggled early in the season, has shown continued improvement. The team has topped 60 points in six consecutive game, the program's longest such stretch since the 2013-14 season. The 91 points they scored against Cameron on Saturday are the most the team since a 2014, triple-overtime loss to Texas Woman's. The biggest reason for the squad's recent offensive success has been the outstanding play of Angelica Wilson. While the senior has been consistent for much of the season, she has attempted to put the team on her back of late. Over the last month, she's averaged 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. Her 31 points against Cameron were the most by a Javelina since Scott took over the program and 9.9 rpg average is the conference's second-best.
Attempting to slow down possibly the hottest player in the LSC, first, will be a Tarleton State squad that has collected 15 wins against seven losses and sits at 9-5 in conference, placing them fourth. The TexAnns have risen into the top half of the LSC by winning six of their last seven, including a two-point upset of then No. 18 West Texas A&M. Four of those six victories have come on the road, with the most recent example being Saturday's 70-64 decision against Western New Mexico.
The top scoring threat that coach Misty Wilson brings with her to Kingsville is sophomore Mackenzie Hailey, the third-leading scorer in the conference, as well as the ninth-leading rebounder. Hailey has hit double figures in points and rebounds in the same game seven times this season, including against the Javs on January 6th. Three times this year, she's eclipsed 20 points, including in consecutive games on Jan. 25th and 27th. In the three meetings these schools had last year, Hailey averaged better than 15 points per game in leading the TexAnns to three victories.
One of the teams Tarleton State is chasing is Commerce, as the Lions and the Angelo State Rams are both atop the LSC standings with records 11-3. TAMC's overall record of 15-7 puts them two games behind ASU's mark of 16-4. Commerce is attempting to recover from two losses in their last three games.
The catalyst for the Lions' offense, which ranks second in the LSC, is the conference's second leading scorer, Brianna Wise. A native of DeSoto, Texas, Wise averages just a shade under 17 points per game and has hit 20 points 11 times, including a 30-point night against Eastern New Mexico on Dec. 17th. She's also collected a pair of double-doubles.
Fans can visit Javelinaathletics.com for live coverage, including video of both games, as well as a postgame recap. You can receive content for Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball, you can follow @TAMUKWBB on Twitter and Instagram, like the official Facebook page of Javelina athletics (/JavelinaSports) and subscribe to the Javelina Athletics YouTube channel.
