THE MATCHUP
• The Javelinas wrap up their home stand with a matchup against St. Mary's before closing out the week in San Antonio for the second half of the home-and-home
• Tip off at the SPEC is set for 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 14, while the contest in San Antonio is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday, January 16
• The Javelinas snapped a three-game skid with a split decision against UT Permian Basin the previous week
• UTPB took game one at 65-60 before TAMUK bounced back in game two at 58-48
• St. Mary's is searching for its first win of 2020-21 after dropping the season open to Lubbock Christian and falling to A&M-Commerce in the first weekend of the new year
• Hannah Wilson leads the Rattlers with a 12.3 scoring average and a 47.5% shooting clip
• Wilson is also second on the team with an 8.3 rebounding average, right behind Audrey Wandji's nine rebounds per game
• Mya Culiver and Briley Perkins round out the top three scorers for StMU at 9.3 and 8.8 points per game
• As a team, St. Mary's is averaging 48.5 points per game while opponents are averaging 73.8 points
• StMU is also getting out-shot from the field, 46.6% to 33.6%
• The Rattlers have committed 21.8 turnovers, while opponents sit at 14.5
LAST TIME OUT
• The Javelinas split the matchup with UT Permian Basin at home last week
• The Falcons took game one at 65-60 despite
Brianna Pena and
Jayde Tschritter putting away 16 points each
•
Anastacia Mickens added 10 rebounds to the Javelinas' effort, her third career game in the Blue and Gold with at least 10 rebounds
• The second matchup went in favor of TAMUK at 58-48, with Pena leading the way with 17 points
•
Janessa Payne finished with 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting from the floor, including a 3-for-4 clip from beyond the arc
FAST TIMES AT THE SPEC
• The Javelinas got off to a fast start in 2020-21 as they swept the opening weekend matchup against UAFS at 84-75 in December 11 and 83-64 on December 12
• Game one featured a 15-point comeback for the Javelinas behind a 21-3 second half run that gave the program its highest scoring output since the 86-84 upset of No. 2 West Texas A&M on January 10, 2019
• TAMUK shot 34-73 in the first game against the Lions for a 46.6 percentage as both marks here better than any single-game high from the 2019-20 season
• Game two featured the first back-to-back 80-point game from the Javelinas since 2013-14 and the first 2-0 start to the regular season since 2015-16
• The win over the Lions that moved the Javelins to 2-0 in Lone Star Conference play was the first 2-0 start to the league schedule with 2008-09 for the program
ACCOLADES FOR DAYS
• Following the weekend sweep of UAFS to start the season,
Anastacia Mickens was named LSC Defensive Player of the Week for anchoring a stringent Javelina defense that held the Lions to a 33.3 clip from the floor and a 20.0 mark from beyond the arc
• Mickens averaged nine points, seven rebounds and 2.5 steals in the sweep of UAFS
• It was the first LSC weekly honor for the Javelinas since Brynae Thompson was named Offensive Player of the Week on January 7, 2019
• It was also the first LSC defensive honor for the Blue and Gold since Kaylin Roher received the distinction on November 29, 2016
YOUTHFUL EXPRESSIONS
• The Javelinas have nine total freshman on the 2020-21 roster, 11 newcomers total
•
Anastacia Mickens and
Maeghan Palmer are the two returners from the 2019-20 season
•
Mia Cherry and
Brianna Pena enter 2020-21 as junior college transfers as Cherry came to Kingsville from Blinn College while Pena made her way from Hill College
• The nine freshman newcomers include:
Sammi Perez,
Faith Kucera,
Mia Rivers,
Rebekah Hailey,
Annelise Dominguez,
Devon Williams,
Jayde Tschritter,
Janessa Payne and
Veyda Lake
• Dominguez, Williams, Payne and Lake all signed on in the fall of 2019, while the remaining five inked their intent in the spring of 2020
QUICK HITTERS
#00 - Mia Cherry
• Junior transfer from Blinn College; Region XIV All-Conference; program ranked No. 24 in the nation; averaged 9.7 ppg
• 2020-21: Started all six games; double figure scoring in three contests, including season-high 16 against UAFS on December 11; averaging 4.2 rebounds per game with a season-high six against Texas A&M Int'l on January 4
#3 - Brianna Pena
• Junior transfer from Hill College; finished her career with 576 points, sixth-most all-time; program record 230 field goals made; 10th-most steals in program history at 91; All-NTJCAC selection in 2019-20; NJCAA Academic All-American and NTJCAC All-Academic both years; program ranked No. 25 in 2019 that reached NTJCAC Championship
• 2020-21: Started all six games; double-figure scoring in all six contests in 2020-21, including season-high 18 against UAFS on December 11; averaging 3.2 rebounds per game, including season-high five against Texas A&M Int'l on January 4
#4 - Sammi Perez
• True freshman from Corpus Christi, Texas; two regional tournament appearances at Veterans Memorial HS and four-time Bi-District Champion; named First Team All-District, Second Team All-District, All-South Texas and THSCA All-State
• 2020-21: Appeared in one game
#5 - Faith Kucera
• True freshman from Victoria, Texas; TAPPS 2A State Tournament Team for Faith Academy; TAPPS 2A All-District, All-Area and All-State teams
• 2020-21: Appeared in one game
#10 - Mia Rivers
• True freshman from College Station, Texas; 2020 state semifinalist for College Station HS; 2017 District Newcomer fo the Year; 2018 and 2020 All-Brazos Valley; two-time First Team All-District; 2020 TGCA All-Region and All-State; McDonald's All-American nominee
• 2020-21: Appeared in all six games; averaging three points per game with season-high five points twice, both against UAFS on December 11-12; season-high four assists twice against UAFS on December 12 at UTPB on January 8
#12 - Rebekah Hailey
• True freshman from College Station, Texas; two-time First Team All-District and All-Region; two-time All-Brazos Valley; 2020 All-State and McDonald's All-American nominee; school record for most steals in a season (166), most three pointers in a game (6), most three-pointers in a season (76) and most three-pointers in a career (87)
• 2020-21: Appeared in all six games with one start; averaging 4.2  points per game, including season-high eight against UAFS on December 12; five consecutive games with a steal to start the season
#14 - Annelise Dominguez
• True freshman from El Paso, Texas; two-time Bi-District champion at Chapin HS; First Team All-District and surpassed 1700 career points as a senior; 5A District MVP
• 2020-21: Appeared in all six games with one start; averaging 4.8 points per game with season-high eight twice, both against UAFS on December 11-12; season-high four rebounds against UAFS on December 11
#22 - Anastacia Mickens
• Senior transfer from McLennan CC and Sam Houston State; appeared in 25 games with two starts at SHSU averaging two points per game; started all 29 games at McLennan and averaged 7.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game
• 2019-20: Started all 24 games and averaged 9.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game; scored in double figures in 10 games, including six straight from January 25 through February 15; season-high 23 against St. Mary's on February 6
• 2020-21: Appeared in all six games with four starts; averaging six points per game with season-high 10 against UAFS on December 12; recorded at least six rebounds in five games to start the season, including season-high 10 against UTPB on January 8
#23 - Devon Williams
• True freshman from Gonzales, Texas; District 27-4A MVP; TABC All-Region; two-time Defensive MVP for the basketball team; qualified for Texas Relay as a member of the track and field team
• 2020-21: Appeared in all six games with five starts; averaging three points per game, including season-high six against UAFS on December 11; averaging 5.3 rebounds per game and season-high eight against UAFS on December 12
#24 - Jayde Tschritter
• True freshman from Corpus Christi, Texas; First Team All-Conference at DME Academy as a senior; three-time All-Tournament for Flour Bluff HS; All-Region and Defensive MVP in 2019; 2018 Second Team All-District
• 2020-21: Appeared in all six games with three starts; averaging six points per game with a season-high 16 against UTPB on January 8; season-high five assists against Texas A&M Int'l on January 4
#35 - Janessa Payne
• True freshman from Aledo, Texas; spent her final two seasons at All Saints Episcopal after two years at Aledo HS; ecplised 1200 career points; two-time Second Team All-District 6-5A and Bi-District Champions in 2017 and 2018
• 2020-21: Appeared in all six games with three starts; averaging 7.7 points per game with season-high 12 against Texas A&M Int'l on January 4; season-high seven rebounds against UAFS on December 12
#41 - Veyda Lake
• True freshman from Houston, Texas; three-time All-Academic honoree for Clear Brook HS; three-time All-District, twice named second team and once named first team
• 2020-21: Appeared in all five games with one start; averaging 5.8 points per game with season-high 12 alongside six rebounds against UAFS on December 11; also scored 10 points against UAFS on December 12
#44 - Maeghan Palmer
• Sophomore from Midlothian, Texas; prepped at Midlothian HS
• 2019-20: Appeared in all 24 games with three starts; averaged 2.4 points and 2.6 rebounds; season-high eight points against Cameron on February 1 and Texas Woman's on February 27
• 2020-21: Appeared in five games