Kingsville - Putting its three-game win streak on the line, the Texas A&M - Kingsville women's basketball team heads on the road for its first of four straight games away from the SPEC when the Javelinas face the Eagles of Oklahoma Christian on Thursday at 5:30 p.m..

After a three-game losing streak dropped the team to .500 in Lone Star Conference play, its wins streak has it 13-8 overall and sixth in the conference standings. The Eagles, on the other hand, have struggled as of late, losing seven straight ball games heading into Thursday and nine of its last 10.

"We have to concentrate defensively on our assignments," Head Coach Michael Madrid said. "We lose focus and/or get complacent within possessions so we are working hard at finishing possessions and defending with high energy."

OCU is led by senior guard Kate Bradley, who leads the conference in minutes played. She is also top 11 in scoring, three-point percentage, and assists. In Kingsville's 63-42 win over the Eagles at home earlier this season, the team managed to hold her to 3-of-8 shooting and five turnovers, though she did also tally 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

The Javelinas will look to ride their red-hot defense, which has proved itself one of the best in the conference, and even the nation this season. Over the course of the team's three-game win streak, that defense hasn't allowed a team to score above 50 points or shoot above 40% from the field in any game. Over the course of the season, TAMUK has held opponents to 54.3 points per game, the 14th-fewest in the nation. 

The team also sports increasingly efficient offensive numbers. Both its team field goal and three-point percentage are the third-best in the LSC, while its turnover numbers and assist-to-turnover ratio are top five in the conference.

While the game doesn't tip off until tomorrow, today marks a celebration of the whole team, as the country celebrates National Girls and Women in Sports day. Madrid took the opportunity to reflect on what coaching the team means to him.

"This group brings so much joy to my life," Madrid said. "They are fun to be around and have made me a better coach and person. I hope someday they will look back and be thankful for what the game of basketball has done for their life as well as the number of relationships the game has provided."

The game is the first of four straight on the road, which include a pair of top-10 teams in the nation. After that, Kingsville will return home for the final three games of its season, including a showdown with another ranked LSC team.