The Southern Utah University women’s basketball team will take on the University of Texas at Arlington in the America First Event Center on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m., and the game is available to stream on ESPN+.
UTA got the better of SUU in their last matchup. The Mavericks are ranked sixth in the Western Athletic Conference standings with a 13-12 overall record and 9-6 record in conference play. Southern Utah is on the edge for WAC Las Vegas in the No. 8 spot and is coming off a double-overtime victory against Utah Valley University. The Thunderbirds have a 7-17 overall record and a 5-10 record against WAC opponents.
Arlington
The Mavericks are third in field goal and three-point percentages, making them one of the most efficient teams in the WAC. However, they also rank first in blocked shots, led by senior Adéla Válková. She averages 1.6 blocks per game and contributes nearly 10 points per game for head coach Shereka Wright.
Junior guard Gia Adams leads UTA’s offense. Adams averages over 14 points per game and shoots 36% from beyond the arc. Avery Brittingham and she average a team-high 1.6 steals per game, and the two guards combine for 7.2 assists per game.
Arlington can score effectively, but they have struggled to outscore other teams this season — the Mavericks average 69.4 points per game compared to their opponent’s 71.5. However, the Thunderbirds have also struggled at 66.9 points per game.
Southern Utah
The Thunderbirds have their work cut out for them. SUU is -7.5 points in scoring margin this year, meaning their opponents score 74.4 points per game. One thing that has significantly helped is that Samantha Johnston has found her rhythm from three-point land. Johnston has shot 10/27 from beyond the arc, but more importantly, she is making them in crucial moments.
Head coach Tracy Mason will continue to work with her limited rotation due to injuries. However, she can lean on veteran leaders like Daylani Ballena, who averages 15.3 points and 3.8 assists per game. Alexa Lord does all the dirty work for the Thunderbirds and brings experience to the courts as a fifth-year player.
Right behind Ballena in points is freshman Ava Uhrich. Uhrich scores 13.3 points per game and leads the team in rebounds with 7.3 per game. Ashley Banks is a couple of weeks removed from an injury that kept her out for over a month. She has been finding her way since being pushed into the starting role after Megan Smith suffered an injury. Banks averages nearly one block per game and 4.7 rebounds per game.
This will be a close matchup, but SUU needs to win since they are barely in the eighth seed for the WAC Las Vegas Tournament.
Author: Chevy Blackburn
Photographer: Anden Garfield
Editor: Anden Garfield
sports@suunews.net