Odessa, Texas - Texas A&M-Kingsville heads up north to the Falcon Dome to take on UT-Permian Basin in its final conference game before the winter break on Thursday.

The Javelinas (4-3, 2-1 LSC) are looking to find some consistency in the early goings of conference play, having yet to string back-to-back wins together for the 2025-26 season. Meanwhile, the Falcons (3-5, 0-2 LSC) are looking to get their first conference win on the board after dropping the previous two matchups to nationally ranked Lubbock Christian and Midwestern State.

UTPB will provide a new challenge for the Javelinas with Graduate Student forward Tash Lunday. The transfer from Mount Marty University is third in the Lone Star Conference scoring 18.5 points per game on 51.7 percent shooting while also snagging 8.5 rebounds per game. Three other Falcons are averaging double figures as well, with the team averaging just under 80 points per game through eight games.

In order for the Javelinas to gain some winning consistency this week, the defense will need to continue its strong start to the season. Currently, the Javelinas sit atop the conference in blocks per game (4.17) and are second in steals per game (12.17). This disruption is led by junior guard Bryce Smith and sophomore forward David Oriaku. Smith is sixth in the conference with 2.17 steals per game while Oriaku leads the LSC with 2.2 blocks per game.

While the Javelinas only have a pair of players averaging double figures, six different players are averaging over seven points per game. In addition to that, 10 different Javelinas have scored in double figures at least once this season with KC Udolisa joining that group after scoring 15 points in the Javelinas' previous contest.

The Javelina offense could find success on Thursday against the Falcon defense, as UTPB allows the third-highest field-goal percentage in the LSC (48.7 percent) and the highest three-point field-goal percentage (38.1 percent). Texas A&M-Kingsville's offense has not been consistently efficient this year, but it does have four games shooting over 40 percent from the floor through seven games.

Tip-off for Saturday's contest is set for 7:30 pm on Thursday. Fans of the Javelinas can watch the game live on FloCollege or follow the action at JavelinaMBB on X.