Forward Lauryn Thompson goes through a drill at a recent Texas State women's basketball practice.
Kalei Engleman

Women's Basketball Chris Allen Brown

It’s Time

Women’s Basketball returns to the hardwood, opens new season at home

SAN MARCOS, TX — It's here. Women's basketball season at Texas State begins on Monday, Nov. 7, when the Bobcats host Howard Payne for the first time since 1984. 

After winning the third most conference games last season, the 2022-23 season provides 12th-year head coach Zenarae Antoine with a lot of optimism as she returns her top six leading scorers, including two-time preseason All-Sun Belt First Team selection Da'Nasia Hood. Hood also led the Bobcats in the rebounding department last season and is among Antoine's top eight rebounding returnees. 

Kennedy Taylor, like Hood, opted to return to the program for her fifth year under Antoine and will look to become the program's career assist leader after being credited with 183 assists – the second most in a single season in program history – a season ago. 

Brant Freeman (play by play) and Suzanne Fox (analyst) will call Monday night's action on ESPN+. 

ALRIGHT, ALREADY, THE SHOW GOES ON
  • Monday evening's action between Texas State and Howard Payne will mark the first basketball game between the two programs since March 2, 1984, when the Jackets won 69-68. 
  • In total, the two teams have met six times with each side winning three apiece. 
    • The winner of this series has alternated every time.
  • Texas State won the first-ever game in the series history as the Bobcats knocked off the Jackets, 77-64, on Jan. 20, 1983.
  • Each of the previous six matchups between Texas State and Howard Payne came while each were members of the Lone Star Conference. 
  • When Monday's game becomes official, it'll mark the first time in program history Texas State has played Howard Payne since moving up to the Division I level. 
    • Texas State moved up to the Division I level prior to the 1987-88 athletic year. 
ALL NIGHT, 'TIL THE MORNING WE DREAM SO LONG
  • As a result of her productivity on the court over the last four seasons, fifth-year senior guard Kennedy Taylor will enter Monday night's game against Howard Payne just 24 assists shy of passing Shelly Borton (1986-90) to become the program's career assist leader. 
Texas State Career Assists Leaderboard
  1. Shelly Borton (1986-90) – 595
  2. Kennedy Taylor (2018-P) - 572
ANYBODY EVER WONDER
  • With both Da'Nasia Hood (1,412) and Kennedy Taylor (1,019) entering their fifth seasons having already surpassed 1,000 career points, it marks the first time the program has had multiple active 1,000-point career scorers since the second half of the 2017-18 season when Toshua Leavitt and Taeler Deer accomplished the feat on March 10, 2018.  
    • Deer surpassed the 1,000-point mark with a 29-point outing at App State on Dec. 29, 2017. 
    • Leavitt followed suit with a 20-point performance against Louisiana on March 10, 2018. 
WHEN THEY WOULD SEE THE SUN UP
  • Monday's game against Howard Payne will mark the beginning of head coach Zenarae Antoine's 12th year at the helm of the program.
    • Only Suzanne Fox (14 seasons from 1997 to 2011) has been the head coach of the Texas State women's basketball program. 
  • When the Bobcats take the floor against the Jackets, it will mark a new beginning of Antoine's pursuit of Fox's program record 174 wins. 
    • Antoine (164) enters the 2022-23 season needing just 11 wins to pass Fox to become the winningest head coach in Texas State women's basketball history. 
  • Antoine's streak of consecutive seasons with at least 10-or-more wins (12) is the longest such streak in program history. She's the only head coach in program history to have accomplished the feat over the course of 10 straight campaigns. 
    • Linda Sharp (1989-97) won double-figure games in eight consecutive seasons. Judy Rinker (1966-75) had seven such seasons, while Dana Craft (1977-83) had six. 
JUST REMEMBER WHEN YOU COME UP
  • Texas State enters the 2022-23 season as one of the most experienced teams at the Division I level. 
    • With the offseason additions of Morgan Hill (ULM), Timia Jefferson (Houston Christian), Taelour Pruitt (SEMO) and those electing to return to use an additional year of eligibility, the Bobcat roster features seven fifth-year seniors, two four-year seniors, three juniors, one sophomore and one freshman. 
THE SHOW GOES ON
  • For the latest information on the team, follow @TXStateWBB on Twitter and Instagram. General athletic news can also be at @TxStateBobcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 
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