SAN MARCOS, Texas — Texas State women's basketball opens conference play on Dec. 30 inside Strahan Arena versus Georgia Southern. The game is slated for a 2 p.m. tip-off and will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
The Bobcats have the advantage in the history of this series with 10 wins in the 13 meetings between these two sides. The Bobcats are currently on a four-game win streak that dates back to 2019. 

The game can be watched on ESPN+ and live stats are available at TXST.com/stats.

MEET THE ROSTER

• Timia Jefferson has become a big part of the Bobcats offense after sitting out a season due to NCAA transfer rules that found her ineligible for her first year as a Bobcat. She's averaging 12.0 points and 5.5 rebounds a night. She scored her 1000^th career point in the Bobcats win against FIU in the FIU Christmas Classic.
• Ja'Niah Henson comes to Texas State after four years at Morgan State. She's averaging 13.3 points per game, the most of any Bobcat. In the Bobcats game against Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, she scored her 1000^th career point as well. 
• Gara Beth Self transferred to Texas State after playing four years for conference-foe ULM. The Bobcats also brought in Western Kentucky transfer Jaylin Foster. Both have been part of the starting five for the Bobcats in each of the games so far this season.
• Tiffany Tullis and Crystal Smith join the Bobcats after two years at Blinn Junior College where the pair reached the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship tournament. Tullis has started in all of the Bobcats games so far this season.
• Among the returners are seniors Sierra Dickson, Nicole Leff and Morgan Hill. Additionally, sophomore Kennedy Claybrooks. Leff and Dickson are the only four-year seniors in the program this year. The Bobcats also have two freshman, Julia Coleman and Emillia Steele.

ABOUT THE EAGLES

• The Eagles are 10-2 this season and sit first in the Sun Belt Conference so far.
• Leading the way for the Pioneers is head coach Anita Howard who is in her fifth season with the program. Howard led the Eagles to their first 20-win season since 2003 in the 2022-23 season and is currently 70-55 in her time at Georgia Southern.
• Terren Ward leads the Eagles in scoring, averaging 22.7 points per game. She is shooting .469 on the season.
• Ward leads the Eagles in rebounding as well, averaging 10.7 rebounds a night. She leads the conference in double-doubles and is second in the nation as well.

RANKINGS

• Ja'Niah Henson is first in the Sun Belt Conference and 12^th in the nation for her free throw shooting. The graduate student is 40-44 from the line this season for a .909 shooting percentage.
• Tiffany Tullis is third in the conference for rebounds with 97 so far this season.
• The Bobcats are the best three-point shooting team in the Sun Belt Conference, shooting 36.1% from beyond the arc.

 
WHATS ON THE HORIZON? 

• The Bobcats are opening their conference play slate against Georgia Southern. After that the Bobcats will go on the road for a trip to App State and Georgia State for their first road trip of conference play.
• The only remaining non-conference game for the Bobcats will be on Feb. 10 against a to-be-determined MAC opponent for the second part of the MAC-SBC Challenge. This game will be on the road since the Sun Belt women's teams got to play at home for the first part of the MAC-SBC Challenge. The opponent will be determined based on NET Rankings in January.