Women's Basketball Remains at Home for Two More

Thursday, January 18 • UAFS (Faculty/Staff Appreciation) • 5:30 p.m.
UAFS (5-10, 3-6)
Head Coach: Ryan McAdams (22-46)
at St. Mary's (2-12, 2-6)
Head Coach: Valerie Huizar (51-53)
Arena: Bill Greehey

Saturday, January 20 • Oklahoma Christian • 1 p.m.
Oklahoma Christian (2-11, 1-8)
Head Coach: Markeith Brown (10-29) 
at St. Mary's (2-12, 2-6)
Head Coach: Valerie Huizar (51-53)
Arena: Bill Greehey

Opening Tip

•    This week features two East Division contests as the three teams fight for a coveted spot in the Lone Star Conference Tournament. The St. Mary's Women's Basketball team hosts UAFS on Thursday for Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night and Oklahoma Christian on Saturday afternoon.

•    The Lions hold a slight 12-14 edge in the all-time series. This will be the final season UAFS and St. Mary's are in the same conference as UAFS departs the Lone Star at the conclusion of the year for the MIAA. The Rattlers are 7-6 at home, but have dropped the last three in Bill Greehey to the Lions.

•    St. Mary's has a 13-11 lead in the all-time series with Oklahoma Christian and is 6-4 in Bill Greehey, but have lost the last two at home to the Eagles and the last four overall.

•    Senior Ariah Powell has hit at least one three-pointer in the last five games and has hit two in four of those five. The five game streak ties the longest of the season, as both Jaedyn Dunn and Ramsey Robledo have five-game streaks earlier this year.

•    Taylor Haggan has scored 20 or more points four times this season, which is the third-most 20-point games by a freshman in the school's Division II history. Erin Griffin did so seven times in 2000-01, while Soteria Banks accomplished the feat five times in 2017-18.

•    Against UT Tyler on Saturday, St. Mary's turned the ball over a season-low tying 10 times, tying the low from at Western New Mexico on Nov. 30. The Rattlers had 12 assists and 10 turnovers, marking the fourth time this year with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio.

•    Freshman Ramsey Robledo became the fifth different Rattler to lead the team in scoring in a game when she scored 13 against UT Tyler. Freshman Taylor Haggan has led the team 10 times, while seniors Teanna Huggins and Ariah Powell and freshman Vani Sancho have each led once.

•    Junior Stina Svilberg became the second Rattler to tally a double-double this season with 10 points and 10 rebounds - both highs at StMU - at Texas A&M Kingsville on Thursday. She joins freshman Taylor Haggan, who has two.

•    St. Mary's has already faced seven teams this season who are currently ranked or receiving votes, or who were at the time of the game. There are three more ranked foes on the calendar in February during the second round of East Division play.

•    Eight of the 11 players on the team who have scored 10 or more points this season have scored at least 10 points in one contest. Stina Svilberg became the latest to join the ranks, tallying 10 at Texas A&M Kingsville.

•    The four freshmen on the team are responsible for 46.6 percent (381 points) of the team's scoring this season, while the six in the senior class are scoring another 40.8 percent (334 points). 

•    Freshman Taylor Haggan currently ranks eighth in the Lone Star Conference in scoring, averaging 14.9 points per game. She is also 10th in rebounds, averaging 7.1 a contest and sixth in field goal percentage, shooting 49.7%.

•    The win at Eastern New Mexico on Dec. 2 marked the 50th in the career of head coach Valerie Huizar. It is her fourth season as a head coach, and second at St. Mary's.

•    St. Mary's shot 52.6 percent in the win against Midwestern State, the highest shooting percentage in a game since the team shot 56.0 in a win over UAFS on Feb. 17, 2018.

•    The Rattlers beat a Division I foe in an exhibition game for the second-straight year, winning 70-64 at UTRGV on Nov 4. A season ago, the Gold and Blue won a thrilling 66-65 decision at Sam Houston State on a last second three-pointer.

•    Several Rattlers are closing in on career milestones or recently achieved one:

    Reyelle Frazier: 18 rebounds from 100

    Taylor Haggan: 200th point vs TWU (209); 1 rebound from 100

    Teanna Huggins: 12 rebounds shy of 200

    Michaela Kucera: 12 rebounds shy of 100; 17 points shy of 100

    Ariah Powell: 100th rebound vs TWU (104)

    Ramsey Robledo: 3 points shy 100

•    Freshman forward Taylor Haggan has already put herself among the elite at St. Mary's. She became the first-ever freshman to record double-doubles in her first two collegiate games.

•    The Rattlers have half the team returning from the 2022-23 season and welcome eight newcomers for a total of 15 players on the roster. Of the eight newcomers, four are freshmen and four are transfers.

•    The Rattlers are now 7-46 since joining the Division II ranks against nationally-ranked foes. The last win against a team in the top-25 came on Nov. 23, 2018 against #1 Central Missouri in double overtime, 101-97. 

•    All seven returners on the team were named to the Lone Star Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll for the spring semester, carrying a minimum GPA of 3.30 for the semester. Michaela Kucera, Alexis Robinson and Natalia Ryng also earned D2 ADA Academic Achievement Awards for having a 3.5 minimum cumulative GPA.