THE MATCHUP    
• The Javelinas face their first ranked opponent of the 2020-21 season as they visit Canyon, Texas, to take on No. 15 West Texas A&M
• TAMUK is coming off a weekend split with St. Mary's as the visiting team won each contest
• The Javelinas matched their win total from last year in half the games played to move to 4-4 on the season
• The Lady Buffs are 6-1 on the year, 5-1 in Lone Star Conference games, following a sweep of UT Permian Basin 
• WT is on a four-game winning streak after dropping their lone contest of the year to Midwesern State on January 2 in double overtime
• Lexy Hightower, the LSC Preseason Player of the Year, is averaging 20.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in seven starts, all while shooting 60.4% from the field
• Hightower currently leads the LSC in scoring average, nearly a full three points more than second place
• She will be aided by Abby Spurgin, the reigning LSC Defensive Player of the Week, who averages 12.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game
• Spurgin also leads the team with 16 blocks, most in the LSC
• Jayla Burgess is the third player to start all seven games for WT as she averages 5.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game

LAST TIME OUT    
• The Javelinas took another weekend split, this time with St. Mary's, as the visiting team won both matchups
• StMU took the contest in Kingsville at 58-49, while TAMUK responded with the win in San Antonio at 60-45
• Janessa Payne led the Blue and Gold in the first matchup with 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting from beyond the arc
• The matchup in San Antonio saw the Javelinas score the first 19 points of the game en route to a 24-3 lead at the end of the first
• Payne recorded her third consecutive game scoring in double figures with 10, while Mia Cherry led the offensive effort with 11 off the bench

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

DEFENSIVE EFFORT    
• The Javelinas held the Rattlers to three points in the first quarter on January 16 for the 60-45 win, the fifth time in 2020-21 TAMUK held an opponent to fewer than 10 points in a quarter
• The last time TAMUK faced StMU in San Antonio, the Javelinas held a 14-2 lead at the end of the first, but lost the matchup in overtime
• TAMUK held UAFS to fewer than 10 points in a frame twice, repeated the feat on the road at Texas A&M International, and added another at home against UT Permian Basin

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: Played in eight games with seven starts; double figure scoring in four contests, season-high 16 against UAFS on Dec. 11; averaging 3.5 rebounds per game, season-high seven against UT Permain Basin on Jan. 9

#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 eight games; double-figure scoring in first seven contests in 2020-21, season-high 18 against UAFS on Dec. 11; averaging 2.9 rebounds per game, season-high five against Texas A&M Int'l on Jan. 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 two games; scored two points against St. Mary's on Jan. 16

#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 eight games with one start; averaging 3.1 points per game, season-high five points twice, both against UAFS on December 11-12; season-high four assists twice against UAFS on Dec. 12 at UTPB on Jan. 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 eight games with two starts; averaging 3.5  points per game, 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 eight games with one start; averaging 4.6 points per game, season-high eight thrice, twice against UAFS on December 11-12 and once against StMU on Jan. 16

#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
• 2020-21: Appeared in all eight games with five starts; averaging 3.9 points per game with season-high 10 against UAFS on Dec. 12; recorded at least six rebounds in five games to start the season, including season-high 10 against UTPB on Jan. 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 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 eight games with four starts; averaging 6.1 points per game, season-high 16 against UTPB on Jan. 8; season-high five assists against Texas A&M Int'l on Jan. 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 eight games with five starts; averaging 9.3 points per game, season-high 18 against St. Mary's on Jan. 14; 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 eight games with two starts; averaging 5.4 points per game, season-high 12 alongside six rebounds against UAFS on Dec. 11; also scored 10 points against UAFS on Dec. 12

#44 - Maeghan Palmer    
• Sophomore from Midlothian, Texas; prepped at Midlothian HS
• 2020-21: Appeared in seven games; grabbed three rebounds against St. Mary's on Jan. 16