RETURNING TO THE ROAD
The Tarleton Texans will return to Lone Star Conference South Division action on the road at Texas A&M-Kingsville.  Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. in Kingsville on Saturday, Feb. 19 in the Steinke Center.

ON AIR
Wednesday's game can be seen by all Tarleton fans through the Javelina Athletics website.  Texan fans can turn on the radio broadcast and listen to KSTV 93.1 FM. 

Fans can also join the LIVE CHAT with Tarleton Athletics and watch LIVE STATS via the TAMUK website.

TARLETON=BASKETBALL
Out of 275 NCAA Division II basketballs schools, the Tarleton Texans and TexAnns are one of just six schools that are on top of their respective conference standings.  The Texans are atop the South Division men's standings while the TexAnns are atop their standings as well.
    
The other schools are Findlay, Bentley, Drury, Metro State and West Liberty.

BASKETBALL 2
The two Tarleton teams are a combined 38-6 this season, and they have the best combined winning percentage in the South Central region (.857).  Heading into the week, Central Oklahoma is second with an .778 percentage (35-10), followed by Missouri Southern with a .773 winning percentage this season (34-10).

NATIONAL RANKING
Tarleton returned to the national poll this week conducted by the National Basketball Coaches Association to No. 25 in the country.  Tarleton has been absent from the poll since the Dec. 7 release when Tarleton was No. 17.  Tarleton has gone 11-2 since being left off the next poll on Dec. 14.

NATIONAL RANKING 2
Tarleton is one of only two teams in the country with both their men's and women's basketball programs ranked in the Top 25.  The men are No. 25 and the women are No. 19 (highest-ever ranking).  The other is Arkansas Tech (men are No. 13; women are No. 5).

FINISHING STRONG
The Texans have finished strong in the second half of the LSC division play since the 2001-02 season.  Tarleton is 41-13 in that span in the second half of division play, including a 9-3 record in 2008-09 and 2009-10.  Tarleton has went 6-0 in 2002-03 and 5-1 five different times.  

This season, the Texans are 3-0 so far in the second half for a total of 44-13.

ON THE ROAD
However, the Texans have struggled in their six road games so far, going 4-4. 
   
Earlier this season, the Texans played four games in nine days, including three on the road. During that road trip, Tarleton traveled approximately 1,021 miles in seven days through Oklahoma and Texas.
   
The longest stretch, however, is when Tarleton went to Portales, N.M. last weekend, returns Saturday night, then went to Canyon last Tuesday and returned Wednesday night.  The Texans traveled over 1,500 miles in that stretch.

DEFENSE, DEFENSE
The Tarleton defense is ranked No. 1 in the nation scoring defense, allowing opponents to score an average of 53.4 points per game heading into this week.  Tarleton is No. 6 in the nation in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 37.9 percent from the field.
   
Thanks to the defense, Tarleton has the No. 4 scoring margin in the country with a plus-20.4 margin.

FORCING TURNOVERS
Tarleton is forcing lots of turnovers this season, but giving away less.  The Texans are No. 4 in the nation in turnover margin with a 5.7 margin in favor of the purple and white.
   
Part of turnovers is taking the ball away, and the Texans are No. 40 in the country in doing so, averaging 8.8 steals per game.

REBOUND THAT BALL
Heading into this week, the Texans are No. 10 in the nation in rebound margin (7.6).  The Texans have outrebounded every foe this season except Cameron, Texas A&M-Commerce, Abilene Christian and West Texas A&M.
   
Tarleton is outrebounding opponents by an average of 37.2 to 29.6.

LEADING THE TEXANS
Corin Henry leads the team with 12.9 points per outing.  Carrington Tankson (10.0) and Devon Hills (8.0) are second and third, respectively.  Wes Dipprey leads the team with 6.2 rebounds per game while Donta Smith is second with 4.1 boards per outing.  Henry tops the squad with 38 steals and 94 assists.

PASS IT HERE
Corin Henry has 227 career assists heading into tonight's contest.  He passed Todd McCormick (1993-97) at 215 assists (93 games) for No. 14 on the Texans all-time list in the game at Incarnate Word.  Henry tied Chris Brown (1994-96, 33 games) at No. 13 with 221 against Eastern New Mexico on Feb. 12, and passed Jim Moreno (1988-92, 121 games) in the game at home against West Texas A&M.  He needs three assists to tie LaShon Sheffield (230, 2004-06 in 68 games) for No. 12 and 34 to tie No. 11 Freddie Pierce (261, 1982-86, 94 games).

SOUTH PLAY
The Texans are led by Corin Henry with 13.6 points per game during South Division play followed by Carrington Tankson with 10.6 points per game apiece.  Dipprey leads the team with 6.2 boards per game during South Division play as Tarleton is outrebounding foes 34.7 to 29.4 and outscoring them 64.8 to 54.1.  Tarleton is averaging .448 from the floor, .378 from the arc and .650 from the charity stripe while holding opponents to .391, .324 and .595, respectively.

D-E-F-E-N-S-E
Tarleton is 10-2 this season when holding opponents to below .400 shooting percentage from the field.
OUTSCORING FOES
     
The Texans are outscoring foes 72.5 to 52.9.  The Texans'  biggest win of the season came against Arlington Baptist – 108-30 (78 points).  The smallest margin of victory is four at home against Texas A&M-Commerce (70-66).

SHOOTING TEXANS
The Texans are averaging .455 from the floor, .377 from the arc and .666 from the charity stripe while holding opponents to .376 from the field, .330 from the arc and .634 from the line.

NOW ON SPECIAL
Tarleton is outscoring opponents in points off turnovers (22.0 to 11.8) and points in the paint (32.7 to 18.3). 

OFF THE BENCH
Tarleton is averaging 31.0 points per game off of the bench this season as the Texans are outscoring opponents from the bench by 15.3 points per game (15.7 for opponents).

SCOUTING THE JAVELINAS
The Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas have lost five of their last seven games, including a 77-61 loss at Midwestern State on Wednesday.  TAMUK is 8-15 overall and 5-7 in the LSC South Division.
   
Antwan Mullins leads the team with 11.8 points per game and is the only Javelina in double digits.  He also tops the squad with 71 assists.  Adam Morris is second with 9. points per outing while Wayne Lovings has a 5.0 rebounds per game average to lead the team.
   
TAMUK is averaging .402 from the field, .284 from the three-point arc and .646 from the line while opponents are shooting .447 from the floor, .307 from the arc and .703 from the charity stripe.  The Javelinas are being outscored 65.1 to 60.0 and outrebounded 35.4 to 30.3.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Tarleton leads the all-time series between the two teams, which began in 1969, 27-21.  Tarleton is 21-10 against TAMUK under head coach Lonn Reisman, and the Texans are 6-7 in Kingsville under the head coach.  The last Javelina win came in Kingsville on Feb. 25, 2009, 76-72.

LAST TIME UP
Tarleton averaged 44.0 percent from the field on its way to downing Texas A&M-Kingsville in Stephenville on Jan. 29.  Tarleton was led by Corin Henry and Fabian Wilson with 10 points apiece while Wes Dipprey and Donta Smith each pulled down six rebounds to lead the home team.
   
The Javelinas were led by Mark Stevenson with 16 points as the only visitor in double figures.  He also led the team with eight rebounds.
   
Tarleton outrebounded the opponent 42-25 and held the Javelinas to 32.0 percent from the field.  TAMUK hit nine three-point baskets, more than half of their 16 made field goals. 

UP NEXT
The Texans will return home for the last home game of the season when Tarleton hosts Abilene Christian on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m.

COMING UP AT HOME
The Feb. 23 game at home against Abilene Christian is the annual Tarleton Athletics Cookout.  It is also Dublin Night where all fans from Dublin will get in free with proof of residence.  That will also be Senior Night where the Texans and TexAnns will honor the 2010-11 seniors.