SAN MARCOS, Texas — Texas State and Arkansas State will look to etch the latest chapter in their series history when the two teams link up on the basketball court for a two-day, two-game conference series on Friday, Jan. 8 and Saturday, Jan. 9. 

Friday's game will tip at 6 p.m., while Saturday's is scheduled for 4 p.m. Both games will be broadcasted on ESPN+. The Bobcats are coming off a split with Louisiana at Strahan Arena last weekend, while the Red Wolves did not play due to COVID-19 concerns within the ULM program. 

"I'm just excited about the opportunity for us to be able to continue to play in the Sun Belt Conference," said Texas State women's basketball head coach Zenarae Antoine. "I'm excited for our team to be able to travel and play. We split with Arkansas State last year, so I know it's going to be a good contest on the road. I just look forward to our team having the opportunity to compete."

PLAYER TO WATCH: Da'Nasia Hood

Da'Nasia Hood enters the weekend series at Arkansas State having led the Bobcats in points and rebounds in their conference-opening series against Louisiana last weekend. Hood, a junior forward from San Antonio, recorded her third 20-plus point game (23) in seven games this season when connected on three 3-points en route to seven made field goal attempts in addition to six free throws in seven attempts throughout 37 minutes of game action. Hood returned the next night and scored nine points and brought down nine rebounds. 

INSIDE THE SERIES: Arkansas State

• Friday afternoon's meeting between Texas State and Arkansas State will mark the 13th all-time meeting between the two schools dating back to Jan. 4, 2014, when Arkansas State won the first game in the series 87-71. The Red Wolves hold a 7-6 advantage in the series. 
• Texas State enters this weekend's contest having won five of the last six contests. 
• Arkansas State and Texas State both have four-game winning streaks throughout the series. The Red Wolves won the first four straight matchups (1/4/14 – 1/17/15) to start the series, then Texas State won its four from Feb. 9, 2017 to Feb. 14, 2019. 
• Last season, the two teams split the season series with Arkansas State winning its first game in the series since Feb. 25, 2016 when it won, 56-53, in San Marcos on Jan. 4, 2020. 
• Arkansas State is 4-2 all-time against Texas State in games played during the month of January. 

DE-FENSE *CLAP CLAP* DE-FENSE

This weekend's two-game series between Arkansas State and Texas State will feature the top two scoring defenses in the Sun Belt Conference. The Red Wolves — through six games this season — has allowed only 330 total points (an average of 55.0 a game) to sit atop the conference. The Bobcats — having played seven games this season — has allowed only 418 total points, which is an average of 59.7 points a game. Arkansas State and Texas State are the only two teams in the conference to allow an average of 60-or-fewer points a game. 

JUST ONE OF TWO

Heading into this week's series at Arkansas State, DaNasia Hood is one of only two players in the Sun Belt Conference to sit in the top five in both scoring and rebounding average. Hood, having played in and started all seven Texas State games so far this season, is averaging 18.1 points (41 field goals, 13 3-pointers and 32 free throws for 127 total points) is only 0.2 points behind Troy's Alexus Dye (72-0-21) as the leading scorer in the conference. On the glass, Hood is averaging 8.6 rebounds (10 offensive and 50 defensive for 60 total) through seven games, which is good enough for fourth. Dye (20-70-90) and her 10.0 rebounding average sit atop the statistical category.