Kingsville - With important Lone Star Conference standing implications on the line, the Texas A&M - Kingsville women's basketball team is set to play its regular season finale against the Dustdevils from Texas A&M - International at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

This will be the last opportunity for Javelinas Nation to see the Javelinas, who are 16-11 overall and hold a 12-9 record in conference play, play in the SPEC this season. Kingsville could finish as low as eighth with a loss, but could, with a win and an Angelo St. loss, finish as high as fifth place, which would mean the Javelinas would avoid playing on of the Lone Star's three top-12 ranked teams until the tournament Semi-Finals.

"Our focus will remain what it has been all season, and this is to play one possession at a time and go 1-0," Head Coach Michael Madrid said. "We are excited about our last opportunity to play in front of our home crowd. The atmosphere with the pep band has been incredible. We always hope to put a product out on the floor the fans will enjoy watching."

Kingsville has played TAMIU before, in the team's very first LSC game of the season, when it grabbed a 74-50 win over the Dustdevils in Laredo. Both teams, however, looked very different at that time, as the Javelinas were led by freshman guard Logan Borchardt, who had a career-high 21 points to go along with five rebounds and three steals in that game. Since then, TAMUK has relied on very balanced scoring, with four different players averaging at least eight points per game. Two Javelinas, junior forward Shelby Ray and redshirt sophomore forward Kaycee Groves, have both averaged double figures since the start of conference play, while each also averages at least 5.7 rebounds per game. 

TAMIU has struggled as of late, having lost eight games in a row entering Thursday's contest, with each loss coming at the hands of an LSC opponent by double digits. The Dustdevils are led by the talented duo of freshman Trinity Chears and junior Josie Igherighe. Each of them averages at least 12 points and 1.3 steals per game, and Igherighe grabs 7.5 boards a game, the 10th-most in the conference. 

International's length defensively allows them to get in passing lanes and wreak havoc on opposing offenses, as six different Dustdevils average at least 1.0 steals per game. At 18.5 per game, TAMIU forces the third-most opponent turnovers in the LSC. 

"They are very athletic at all positions and play very hard," Madrid said. "They have been in many games and just come up a bit short. We fully anticipate another hard-fought LSC game and are excited about another opportunity to grow as a team." 

Thursday's game will be FREE ADMISSION for all, and will be Faculty Appreciation Night, where each player will have an opportunity to honor a professor whose work and help they appreciate.