Leo Garcia

Women's Basketball 11/10/2022 11:40:00 AM Ryan Smith, Athletic Communications Coordinator

Women's basketball opens 2022-23 season on road against Eagles, Yellowjackets

The Javelinas will face off with Chadron State and Black Hill State to open up the season

KINGSVILLE, Texas — The Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball team is slated to begin their season with the Javelinas matching up against Chadron State on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Chicoine Center in Chadron, Nebraska. The following day they'll take on Black Hill State in a 7 p.m. contest at the Donald E. Young Center in Spearfish, South Dakota.

The Javelinas enter the contest after a breakout season that saw the squad compile a 17-11 record and a 10-6 mark in conference play to secure an LSC Tournament berth for the first time since 2019. Additionally, the campaign saw the Javelinas go 12-1 at the SPEC, a feat that hadn't been accomplished since the 2009-10 season. Among those victories includes an upset over No. 1 ranked Lubbock Christian for the program's first win over a No. 1 ranked team and their first victory over a defending NCAA Division II National Champion. Other notable accomplishments include receiving votes in the D2SIDA National Poll for the first time since 2010.

TAMUK returns eight from the previous season, including 2021-22 All-LSC Honorable Mention selection guard Mia Rivers, who led the squad with 116 assists, 44 steals, and 71 free throws. Rivers isn't the only statistical leader to return for 2022-23, as forward Devon Williams blocked 36 shots and collected 136 rebounds for her team. Defensively, the Javelinas were one of the league's best, as they ranked third in scoring defense, holding opponents to under 60 points a game and ranking 23rd nationally in three-point defense.

The Javelinas first will meet the Eagles, a team coming off a 7-19 season, with all seven wins occurring at the Chicoine Center. Despite their record, CSC sat fifth on the RMAC three-point shooting leader board, with shots from beyond the arc falling at 31.6%. They also excelled on the offensive glass, snagging 11.9 offensive rebounds a game. The offensive success was primarily thanks to the performance of then-freshman Ashayla Powers, who averaged 13.6 ppg and shot 75.2% from the free-throw line. Samiyah Worrell was the group's top shooter, knocking 53 three-pointers down at a 35.3% clip.

On Saturday, TAMUK will head to The Mount Rushmore State for a matchup with the Yellowjackets, who went 18-9 before falling to CSU-Pueblo in the first round of the RMAC Tournament. They compiled a 10-1 record at home, with their only loss at the Young Center occurring against a ranked opponent. The Yellow Jackets have three starters returning, including top scorer Danica Kocer who dropped 13.1 ppg, and Megan Engesser, who logged 58 three-pointers.

Follow the Javelinas all season long by visiting javelinaathletics.com to find links to live stats and streaming information as well as a recap at the end of each contest. To keep up-to-date with Javelina Women's Basketball, follow the program on Facebook /JavelinaWBB or Twitter @Javelina_WBB. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network.

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Players Mentioned

#10 Mia Rivers: G; 5' 6"; Freshman

#23 Devon Williams: F; 6' 2"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#10 Mia Rivers
: 5' 6"; Freshman
: G

#23 Devon Williams
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: F

Players Mentioned

#10 Mia Rivers

#23 Devon Williams

Players Mentioned

#10 Mia Rivers

#23 Devon Williams