PENSACOLA, Florida — Texas State women's basketball is set to start its run in the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The Bobcats will face Georgia Southern in the opening round of the tournament on March 5^th at 11:30 a.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.  
 
SERIES HISTORY

• There have been 14 meetings between Texas State and Georgia Southern in program history. The Bobcats have won 10 of them, including both the meetings in the 2022-23 season.
• The Bobcats lost the prior meeting between these two sides this season by a 70-69 score line inside Strahan Arena.
• The last time the Bobcats faced Georgia Southern in the Sun Belt Tournament, Texas State won 94-61 in the 2021 tournament.

 
HISTORY IN THE TOURNAMENT

• In The Bobcat has an 8-10 record all time in the Sun Belt Conference tournament.
• In the 2022-23 tournament, the Bobcats lost in the conference championship to James Madison by an 81-51 score line after entering the tournament as regular season championships.
• The Bobcats would face ULM in the second round, a team they split 1-1 with during the regular season. These two teams have never faced off in the conference tournament.

 
MEET THE ROSTER

• Ja'Niah Henson came to Texas State after four years at Morgan State. She's averaging 14.7 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. She is among the best free-throw shooters in the nation, shooting 93.5% from the line.
• Gara Beth Self transferred to Texas State after playing four years at ULM. She and Henson are co-captain for the Bobcats.
• The Bobcats also brought in Western Kentucky transfer Jaylin Foster. Both Foster and Self have been consistent members 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. 
• The Bobcats had four players returning to the team this season including seniors Sierra Dickson, Nicole Leff and Morgan Hill. Dickson and Leff are the only seniors on the roster who have played their full four years at Texas State. Additionally, sophomore Kennedy Claybrooks is among the returners. Morgan Hill is in her second season with the Bobcats after transferring from ULM.
• The Bobcats also have standout freshman Julia Coleman who has recorded two double-doubles this season while averaging 5.4 points a night off the bench.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN EAGLES

• The Golden Eagles are 14-17 this season, 4-14 in conference play and finished 12^th in the Sun Belt.
• Leading the way for the Bobcats is head coach Anita Howard who is in her 5^th season with the program. She has a 74-70 record all-time with the program.
• Leading the scoring for the Golden Eagles is Terren Ward who's averaging 22.1 points a night.
• Ward also averages 9.1 rebounds per night.

RANKINGS & RECORDS

• Ja'Niah Henson is 1st in the Sun Belt Conference and 2nd in the nation for her free throw shooting. The graduate student is 105-112 from the line this season for a .938 shooting percentage. She's shot 51-54 in conference play. 
• Texas State is the second best in the conference defensively while allowing opponents just 63.2 points a night.
• Henson is the only Bobcat to score 14 free throws in a single game since Kaylin Martin went 14-15 on Feb. 8, 2014 vs Louisiana.
• Henson is also 2nd in conference play for three pointers with 49.
• The Bobcats are the best three-point defending team in the conference, with opponents shooting just 26.9% beyond the arc. Additionally, the Bobcats' 74.4 free-throw percentage is the fourth best in the Sun Belt.

 
UP NEXT

• With a win, the Bobcats would face ULM in the second round of the tournament on March 6. The game would be at 2 pm against the Warhawks and streamed on ESPN+.