San Antonio - Texas A&M-Kingsville kicks the new year off in San Antonio as it takes on St. Mary's University on Friday.

The Javelinas (6-5, 2-3 Lone Star Conference) are coming off a 1-1 finish to the 2024 calendar year in which they defeated then-No.2 West Texas A&M but fell in an offensive battle against Eastern New Mexico. 

Facing off against the Javelinas is a Rattler (6-4, 3-1 LSC) team who is also coming off a 1-1 finish to 2024 at the D2 Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada. Boasting one of the best defenses in the conference, St. Mary's only allows their opponents to score 65.2 points per game, fourth best in the conference.

Not to be outdone, the Javelinas also possess a stingy defense that ranks seventh in the conference in opponent turnovers with 15.7 a game. Spearheading this defense are guards Isaiah Payne and Allen Singleton, who both sit in the top-10 in the conference in steals per game with 1.8 and 1.9 respectively.

Defense is not the only thing that Payne has excelled in this season. The graduate student from Ville Platte, Louisiana, is tied for seventh in the conference in scoring with 16.2 points per game with a 46.2 shooting percentage. Payne now has scored 20 or more in three straight contests for the Javelinas.

Historically, the Javelinas have performed favorably against St. Mary's. Currently sitting with a 20-13 record against the Rattlers since 2006, Texas A&M-Kingsville is 4-1 in the last five matchups with the Rattlers in San Antonio.

Tip-off for Friday's contest is set for 7:30 p.m. CST with the game being streamed on Flosports. Fans of the Javelinas can follow live coverage through live stats or at JavelinaMBB on Twitter.