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BATON ROUGE, La. \u2013\u00a0The UT Arlington women’s basketball team returns to action with their final non-conference game against an undefeated No. 5 LSU Tigers team on Sunday, Dec. 21, afternoon. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. CT inside the Maravich Center. \u2013 #BuckEm \u2013<\/p>\n \u00a0
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\nThe Lady Mavs are coming off an 81-73 victory over Texas Southern at home and look to wrap up the non-conference slate on the road before heading into Western Athletic Conference play.\u00a0
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\nSERIES HISTORY
\nThis will be the third overall matchup between the two programs and first time since 1978. The all-time series is split at one game apiece. Both games came via a neutral site game in Houston, Texas. This will be the Lady Mavs first ever trip to Baton Rouge. In the two games, the Lady Mavs average 53 points per contest. Last time against the Tigers, the Lady Mavs fell 57-91 back in 1978 and in their first ever matchup in 1974, the Lady Mavs got the 49-43 win over the Tigers.
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\nSCOUTING LSU
\nThe Tigers enter the contest with a perfect 12-0 record and are currently ranked the fifth best team in the country. LSU boasts the nation’s best scoring offense, averaging 107.8 points per game. The Tigers are no slouch on the defensive side of the ball, holding opponents to 54.3 points per game, the 27th best mark in the country. LSU’s 53.5 scoring margin is the top mark in the nation. The Tigers have seven players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Flau’jae Johnson who averages 15.7 points per contest on shooting 53.3-percent from the floor and 51.2-percent from deep.
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\nWE GOT SHOOTERS
\nThe Lady Mavs are one of the better shooting three-point teams in the conference despite taking the least amount of attempts, averaging a league-low 12.5 attempts per game and converting on 4.4 of those attempts, also a league low. Despite the amount, the Lady Mavs sit at the top of the league leaderboards in three-point percentage, converting 35.0-percent of their attempts, the 60th best mark in the nation.
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\nIn eight of the Lady Mavs 11 games, UTA has outshot opponents from deep.
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\nDOWNTOWN LOCKDOWN
\nThe Lady Mavs defend the three-point shot extremely well, holding opponents to 22.2-percent through 11 games on the season. This is the top mark in the conference and the second best mark in the nation.
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\nIn three games at the Hawaii North Shore Showcase, the Lady Mavs held opponents to just six total made three-pointers on 52 attempts. UTA held Colorado to 0-for-9, Texas A&M to 2-for-20 and VCU to 4-for-23 from deep.
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\nThrough 11 games, opponents have shot under 30-percent from deep in nine of the Lady Mavs’ 11 contests. Four out of the last five games, the Lady Mavs have held opponents to under 30-percent from deep with two of those contests seeing the Lady Mavs hold opponents under 20-percent from beyond the arc.
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\nYOU SURE SHE’S JUST A FRESHMAN?
\nTrue freshman Kira Reynolds<\/a> has made her presence for the Lady Mavs not only known throughout the league, but putting the whole nation on notice. Through 11 games, she leads the Lady Mavs in points and rebounds, averaging a near double-double with 12.5 ppg and 8.9 rpg. Her five double-doubles on the year have her tied for the top mark in the league as well as for 16th nationally.\u00a0
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\nWhen she gets to the free throw line, she’s almost automatic as she’s shooting 76-percent from the charity stripe, the fourth best mark in the conference. Her 50 total free throw attempts is the third best mark in the league while her 38 total free throw makes is the second best mark in the conference.
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\nHer 98 total rebounds are third most in the league and 61st best in the country. She’s fourth in the conference with 8.9 rebounds per game which also has her 54th in the country. Her 7.2 defensive rebounds per contest is tops in the WAC and 24th in the NCAA.
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\nOn the defensive side of the ball, she’s a menace in blocking shots. Her 33 total blocks is the second best mark in the WAC and is the seventh best mark in the NCAA. Her average of 3.00 blocks per game is the best mark in the league while it has her ranked fourth in the nation.
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\nBENCH MOB
\nThe Lady Mavs boast one of the best benches in the WAC, with the bench averaging an impressive 22.9 points per game which is the third best mark in the conference.
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\nSTILL THROWING A BLOCK PARTY
\nThe Lady Mavs were one of the better shot blocking teams in the WAC last season and that is still setting up to be the trend this season as UTA averages a shade over five blocks per game, coming in at 5.2 per contest which is the second best mark in the WAC and the 25th best mark nationally.
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\nLONG AND ATHLETIC
\nThe Lady Mavs give teams fits down in the paint with their length. Opposing teams have trouble blocking the Lady Mavs’ shots. Through 11 games, opponents have managed 26 total blocks while the Lady Mavs have blocked 57 shots on the season as a team. A total of nine of the 12 players on the roster have recorded a block on the season.
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\n20 PIECE, NO BBQ SAUCE
\nThree of the Lady Mavs six wins this season have come way by the Lady Mavs defeating opponents by 20 or more points.
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\nNO LIMIT VETERAN
\nSenior point guard Nya Threatt<\/a> is coming into her newfound role as the leader of the team as the most experienced player on the team with 68 starts under her belt. She is coming off a career night where she dropped a new career best 21 points in front of a homecoming crowd inside the CPC. She currently sits second on the Lady Mavs averaging 9.6 points per game to go along with a team-high 33 assists and 15 steals in 10 games for the point guard.
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\nFREE99
\nThrough 11 games on the season, the Lady Mavs are shooting 70.6-percent (154-of-218) from the free throw line while opponents are shooting 68.0-percent (176-of-259) from the charity stripe.\u00a0
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\nThe Lady Mavs sit third in the league and 73rd in the country in free throw attempts per contest with 19.82. They sit fourth in the conference in free throw percentage at 70.6-percent while coming in at third in the WAC and 71st in the NCAA in free throws made with 14.00 per contest.
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\nDEFENSIVE MENTALITY
\nThe Lady Mavs hang their hats on playing tough and physical defense. UTA forces opponents into 18.36 turnovers per game, the third best mark in the league. They are fourth in the WAC in steals per contest with an average of 9.3.
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\nThe Lady Mavs sport the third best scoring defense in the league, coming in at 62.4. UTA averages 19.8 fouls per game.
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\nNEXT UP
\nWestern Athletic Conference play begins for the Lady Mavs after the Christmas holiday when they open up WAC play on the road on Monday, Dec. 29, at Tarleton State. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT inside the new EECU Center in Stephenville.
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\nFOLLOW ALONG
\nFor updates, behind-the-scenes photos, videos and more engaging and personal content, be sure to follow the women’s basketball program on X (formally known as Twitter) (@UTAMavsWBB<\/a>), Instagram (@UTAMavsWBB<\/a>) and Facebook (\/UTAMavsWBB<\/a>).
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